Bangor Air National Guard base advances to next round of competitive tanker base selection

Photo / courtesy, Boeing The Bangor Air National Guard Base is one of seven finalists as the next base to receive a Boeing KC-46A Pegasus.

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By Laurie Schreiber

The Bangor Air National Guard Base is one of just seven nationwide being considered to receive a new air refueling tanker, known as the KC-46A Pegasus, which the U.S. Air Force is using to replace its aging KC-135 tankers.

The base is home to the Air National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing — nicknamed the MAINEiacs — and originally was one of 15 Air National Guard bases considered. Now the competition is down to seven finalists, each of which will be subject to further site visits and evaluation.

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, said they learned of the competition’s progress from Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, acting director of the Air National Guard.

“Today’s decision by the Air Force is encouraging news and a testament to the MAINEiacs’ worldwide reputation for accomplishing the refueling mission as well as the dedication of all of the service members in the 101st Air Refueling Wing,” said Collins, the ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

Collins hosted Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall on June 7, in what was the first time that such an official made a dedicated visit to the 101st Air Refueling Wing.

“I’m encouraged to hear the unit that has such global impact is now a finalist to receive the new KC-46 air refueling tanker, which would ensures the MAINEiacs aircraft are modernized and Maine remains at the forefront of contributing to our national defense,” said King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

In addition to the 101st Air Refueling Wing, the Maine Air National Guard is comprised of a Joint Forces Headquarters and two geographically separated units — the 243rd Engineering Installation Squadron and the 265th Combat Communications Squadron.

The Maine Air National Guard's 101st Air Refueling Wing in Bangor provides in-air refueling service to cargo planes, fighter jets and other aircraft. Its first KC-135s were assigned in 1976. The KC-135 tanker dates back more than 60 years, according to the Air Force.

"The men and women of the 101st Air Refueling Wing have consistently demonstrated excellence in the air refueling mission for decade,” said Col. Byron Newell, commander of the 101st Air Refueling Wing. “Together with Bangor's vital strategic location, keeping the nation's most connected and capable air refueling platforms based in Maine makes sense for homeland defense, strategic deterrence and power projection in crisis and competition.”

The KC-46A, made by Arlington, Va.-based aerospace and defense firm Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA), has greater refueling, cargo and aeromedical evacuation capabilities than the KC-135. The new tanker represents the beginning of a new era in air-to-air refueling capability for the U.S. military, according to the Air Force.

The aircraft has been in development since February 2011, and its initial flight occurred in December 2014. The first KC-46A was delivered to McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas five years ago, and the tankers are now operating at six Air Force locations.

The final decision for the selection of the seventh site base is expected at the end of next summer, pending environmental review, according to a news release. The first aircraft would arrive at the selected location in 2030.