Inside MacDill’s $275M upgrade: How the new KC-46 will replace aging KC-135 fleet after tragic crash
MacDill AFB aims to refresh aging tanker fleet
The KC-135 tankers have played a vital role in the U.S. military since they were rolled out more than 60 years ago and they are getting upgraded. FOX 13’s Briona Arradondo reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - The 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base is home to the KC-135 Stratotanker, a refueling plane that has helped the U.S. military carry out missions around the world for more than 60 years.
The backstory:
Six airmen were on board a KC-135 Stratotanker when the plane crashed in Iraq on March 12. Three of those airmen were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa but were stationed at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama.
"The KC-135 is an absolute backbone to the United States Air Force," said Larry Martin, a retired Major General in the U.S. Air Force.
He used to fly KC-135s and said any aviation tragedy becomes more personal when it involves service members based out of MacDill.
RELATED: MacDill Air Force Base announces the loss of three members of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron
"Tampa Bay's got a phenomenal reputation for supporting its military people, its veterans and their family members. Take a look around. Check on your neighbors, make sure they're doing okay," said Martin, who is president of the Tampa Bay Defense Alliance.
What we know:
While the cause of the crash in Iraq is under investigation, it has brought attention to the KC-135 aircraft. They have been in service since 1957, helping with global reach. It also provides aerial refueling support to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and allied nations' aircraft.
"The airplanes have been refurbished, they've been redone, and they're meticulously maintained by the maintainers," said Martin. "They're not the old clunker that's down the road. They're pretty special machines with the way that they're taken care of."
Jim Cardoso, who was also an Air Force pilot, said the KC-135 planes have been upgraded over the years and maintained. He said the age of the fleet matters for the U.S. Air Force’s long-term health of its planes on mission.
"It is an old aircraft. It does take some maintenance time. Just like if you had an older car, it would take a little more time to make sure it was running. But we do have the processes in place to ensure these aircraft are safe, reliable, and capable of their mission," said Cardoso, the senior director at the University of South Florida's Global and National Security Institute. "These aircraft will be needed in the future as well. And as they're used now and the aircraft continue to age, that could affect our ability to project air power in future conflict."
What's next:
A new tanker, the KC-46 Pegasus, will replace the KC-135s in the air. The military said the KC-46 will have greater refueling, cargo and aeromedical evacuation capabilities compared to the current aircraft.
"So, it's going to have some more current and modern aircraft designs, better fuel efficiency on how its engines use fuel, some advanced avionics for situational landers for the air crew," said Cardoso.
The KC-46 will allow for longer flight times and refuel windows for the U.S. military's planes. In January 2025, MacDill broke ground to rebuild a new hangar to fit the KC-46, which is taller and wider. The aircraft engines will also be reduced from four engines on the KC-135 down to two engines on the KC-46, which helps with takeoff.
"It brings all those things. Again, you've got an airplane that's 40 years newer. You'd expect what's going on in the airplane to be newer. It's got a different capacity for how it works," said Martin.
The military is spending $275 million to accommodate the new planes, and MacDill Air Force Base is set to get 24 of the KC-46 Pegasus.
FOX13 reached out to the 6th Air Refueling Wing for an update on the KC-46 Pegasus rollout, but a public affairs spokesperson said they did not have additional information.
The Source: FOX13’s Briona Arradondo gathered the information in this story from interviews with the USF Global and National Security Institute, Tampa Bay Defense Alliance and an email to the 6th Air Refueling Wing.