Japan cleared for more KC-46A aerial refuelling aircraft under $4.1 billion deal
Japan already operates KC-46As and has been approved for more. (Photo: Boeing)
Japan ordered two KC-46A tanker aircraft under an FMS contract with the US Air Force awarded in December 2017. The deal was increased to six tankers with subsequent orders. Japan has now been approved for up to nine more aircraft.
The US State Department has approved the sale of up to nine Boeing KC-46A air refuelling tankers to Japan under a US$4.1 billion which includes a range of ancillary equipment.
Aside from the aircraft, the deal includes up to 18 PW 4062 turbofan engines, up to 16 AN/ALR-69A radar warning receivers, up to 33 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) Guardian laser turret assemblies and up to 18 LAIRCM system processor replacements.
Also included is missile warning sensors, cartridge actuated devices and propellent actuated devices, AN/PYQ-10 simple key loaders and AN/APX-119 Identification Friend or Foe transponders.
The aircraft will join a fleet of six already operated by the Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF).
On 29 November 2022, the US Department of Defense announced the sale of an additional two KC-46As to the JASDF taking the number to six tankers. The 2022 contract was worth $398.2 million and the cumulative contractual value of the six tankers was $1.3 billion.
The KC-46As are operated by 405 Air Refuelling Squadron, a JASDF unit stood up in December 2020 to operate the new tankers.
Japan was the first export customer for the KC-46A, for which Japanese subcontractors produce about 16% of its airframe for Boeing.
The KC-46As can refuel Japanese, as well as American aircraft, and they supplement a quartet of KC-767J tankers already in JASDF service.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Saab delivers fifth and final GlobalEye to UAE]()
Saab delivers fifth and final GlobalEye to UAE
Saab delivered the fourth GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the UAE earlier this year with the fifth aircraft concluding the order.
-
![US Air Force eyes multi-orbit SATCOM capabilities]()
US Air Force eyes multi-orbit SATCOM capabilities
The service is interested in the benefits it can provide such as network throughput, low latency, and resiliency for encrypted and non-encrypted communications.
-
![New vision-based navigation integration offers protection to UAS]()
New vision-based navigation integration offers protection to UAS
ESEN has integrated its vision-based navigation system into ArduPilot providing an alternative PNT source for UAS.
-
![L3 Technologies awarded $587 million contract for next stage of new Growler jammer]()
L3 Technologies awarded $587 million contract for next stage of new Growler jammer
The Next Generation Jammer-Low Band (NGJ-LB) is part of a larger NGJ system that will augment and ultimately replace the legacy ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System on the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.
-
![BAE Systems wins $4 million in DARPA cash for AI programme]()
BAE Systems wins $4 million in DARPA cash for AI programme
The challenges of getting artificial intelligence into a jet fighter’s cockpit have proved considerable to date. BAE Systems will take a machine-learning approach to the problem.
