Overview
- The Air Force selected the 134th Air Refueling Wing to receive the KC-46A Pegasus and identified McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base as the preferred site for Main Operating Base 7.
- The Pegasus will replace the wing’s KC-135 Stratotankers, adding boom and hose-and-drogue refueling on one sortie, full main-deck cargo capacity, enhanced communications, and improved force protection.
- The transition will unfold over several years with phased construction and training in coordination with Air Mobility Command and the National Guard Bureau.
- According to the Air Force, a final basing decision is expected in 2027, with eight aircraft projected to begin arriving in 2031 if approved.
- McGhee Tyson has already completed a $134 million, 10,000-foot runway and a $32.4 million KC-46-ready maintenance hangar, and the unit would become the ANG’s third KC-46 host after Pease and Sumpter Smith if finalized.