A welcoming ceremony was held at the base with the participation of Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, and Major General Omer Tichler, commander of the Israeli Air Force. The aircraft is the first of six KC-46 tankers ordered by Israel.
The KC-46 aircraft are intended to replace the Israeli Air Force’s ageing fleet of Boeing 707 aerial refuelling aircraft. The new tankers can carry 96 tonnes of fuel, around 15% more than their predecessor.
The aircraft are equipped with ballistic armour in the crew and passenger cabins. They also have protection against electromagnetic pulses and weapons of mass destruction.
Missile attack warning systems have also been installed on the aircraft. This equipment will now be supplemented with various Israeli-made systems.
In March 2020, the U.S. State Department approved the possible delivery to Israel of up to eight KC-46A aerial refuelling aircraft. The approval also covered related equipment and services, spare parts and other materials under the Foreign Military Sales procedure.
The total value of the order was estimated at $2.4 billion. The United States and Israel have not disclosed the delivery schedule for the remaining aircraft.
According to Israeli media, another KC-46 is expected to arrive next month. Two more aircraft are expected in 2027, with another two due by 2030.
The delivery comes after the recent joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. During that operation, the Israeli Air Force carried out more than 10,800 strikes against more than 4,000 targets.
Israeli fighters conducted about 8,500 combat sorties towards Iran. All of those missions required support from aerial refuelling aircraft.
Most of that support was provided by U.S. aircraft. Israel does not have enough aerial refuelling aircraft of its own, making the KC-46 fleet important for future long-range operations.
