# Project 651120 — Pegasus Capability Improvements

**Program element:** 0401221F — KC-46A Tanker Squadrons  
**Project:** 651120  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 5 — System Development & Demonstration  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401221F/651120  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401221F

## Summary

Project 651120 — Pegasus Capability Improvements requests $121.1M in FY2027, 22% of the $543.8M requested for program element 0401221F, up 69% on FY2026. 5 R-2A activities decompose the request, 1 restarted this cycle. Boeing is the largest named R-3 performer at $69.5M, 57% of the project's FY2027 R-3 total.

## Funding profile

| 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 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0401221F; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## 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.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development; Support; Test and Evaluation.

## Named R-3 performers

| Performer | $M | Share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing | 69.5 | 57% |
| KC-46 Program Office | 4.9 | 4.1% |
| Amentum | 3.5 | 2.9% |

> Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations. Shares need not reach 100% — unnamed and government work is in the denominator.

## Activities (R-2A) — 5

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Product Development | 6.4 | 31.2 | 45.2 | +45% | [a2](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401221F/651120/a2) |
| Mobility Air Forces (MAF) Connectivity | 4.9 | 0.0 | 27.4 | restart | — |
| KC-46A Block 1 Pegasus Advanced Communications Suite (PACS) | 20.0 | 23.9 | 26.4 | +10% | — |
| Government Test | 13.4 | 11.6 | 17.2 | +47% | — |
| Support | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.9 | +0% | — |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Aircraft Product Development

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…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401221F/651120/a2

### Mobility Air Forces (MAF) Connectivity — RESTART

**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.

### KC-46A Block 1 Pegasus Advanced Communications Suite (PACS)

**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.

### Government Test

**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.

### Support

**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.

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401221F.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0401221F project 651120 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0401221F")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*