What project 651120 buys
The KC-46A will provide the capability to fuel joint and coalition receivers via a boom or drogue system on every mission and will also augment the airlift fleet with cargo, passenger, and aeromedical evacuation capabilities. The KC-46A will operate in day/night and adverse weather conditions to enable deployment, employment, sustainment, and redeployment of U.S. joint, allied, and coalition forces. The KC-46A will have communication, navigation, and surveillance equipment for worldwide operations; the capability to perform missions in chemical and biological environments; the ability to operate in up to medium threat environments with self-defense/protection (both active and passive) capabilities; and the necessary battlespace awareness to mitigate survivability threats. The KC-46A Block 1 Pegasus Advanced Communications Suite (PACS) program will satisfy Department of War (DoW), National Security Agency (NSA), Department of Transportation (DoT), and USAF mandates by upgrading legacy Tactical Data Link 16, Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Line-of-Sight (LOS) capabilities with next-generation Link 16 terminals and UHF secure, global, BLOS and anti-jam LOS satellite voice communications capabilities for the KC-46A weapon system. PACS enables compatibility and interoperability with current and planned future joint and allied forces while simultaneously increasing the survivability of secure global voice and data communications capabilities between Mobility AirForce (MAF) C2 agencies and MAF aircraft operating worldwide in or near contested environments. The KC-46A will continue to develop, field, and sustain warfighter capabilities to meet evolving threats and mission support requirements through Block or discrete modification or modernization programs depending on mission urgency, available funding, and programmatic and technical risks. Post-production requirements can include but will not be limited to avionics and structural systems/ architecture and subsystem updates, general mission equipment updates and procurement, general sustainment support, studies and analyses, future Tanker requirements simulation and training, and correction of field deficiencies. The next PACS communication upgrade requirements is the Block 2 modernization program and MAF connectivity.
- Product Development
- Support
- Test and Evaluation
Project 651120 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 48.6 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 71.8 |
| FY2027 | Request | 121.1 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 66.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 13.6 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 0.5 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 0.0 |
5 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit — the only level of the budget that describes work that has not happened yet. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only, no five-year plan. 1 of them describes FY2027 work in enough detail to have its own page; the rest are shown here in full. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
Will continue product refinement, studies, ground, and flight testing in support of the KC-46 weapon system to include receiver certifications, simulator data collection, and completion of IOT&E events/reporting. Incrementally fund Boom Control Logic Software and Take Off and Landing Data (TOLD) to address deficiencies and improve…
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2027 planned work Begin contracting actions to award follow-on effort post MAF Connectivity Study and begin development and integration of MAF Connectivity system.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increased due to contracting actions post MAF Study resolution.
FY2027 planned work Will continue Block 1 PACS EMD program and associated contracting efforts.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increased due to ramp up of contracting activities for Block 1 PACS EMD.
FY2026 plans — current year Continue Block 1 PACS EMD program and associated contracting efforts.
FY2027 planned work Will continue KC-46A testing and planning support of development & operational test, FAA & military certification, and aircraft qualification activities.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increased due to ramp up of contracting activities, test support and increased consumables.
FY2026 plans — current year Continue KC-46A testing and planning support of development & operational test, FAA & military certification, and aircraft qualification activities.
FY2027 planned work Will continue studies, analyses and planning activities to support future upgrade initiatives.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increased due to increased program support costs for various efforts such as FAA Military Certification, DISA/JITC support, etc.
FY2026 plans — current year Continue studies, analyses and planning activities to support future upgrade initiatives.
Named performers on project 651120
Performers named in the R-3 exhibit under this project. Share is of the project's whole FY2027 R-3 total — the same denominator the program-element split uses, so the two read on one scale and will not sum to 100% when unnamed or government work is in the mix. Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations.