Israel received the first of six U.S.-made KC-46A aerial refueling tankers, expanding the Jewish state’s long-range operational capabilities.
The Jewish Institute for National Security of America, which has been pressing the United States to sell the advanced tankers to Israel since 2018, stated that “the KC-16 will act as a force-multiplier for Israel’s ability to counter shared threats from Iran and its proxies.”
“It also will reduce the burdens and risks facing Americans forces in the region, after the U.S. Air Force helped fill gaps in Israel’s aerial refueling capacity during the recent war with Iran,” JINSA stated.
The Boeing-made aircraft, known in Israel as the “Gideon,” is the first of six planes purchased from the United States as part of an upgrade to the Israeli Air Force’s tanker fleet, according to the institute.
JINSA also stated that Israel using the U.S.-made refueling tankers “will deepen the interoperability of U.S. and Israeli forces that proved so effective in Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion.”
