Bangor Air National Guard Base is a finalist in the highly competitive selection of a main operating base for a $1.3 billion fleet of air refueling tankers as a key strategic link in the nation's Air Mobility Command.
Located at Bangor International Airport, the Maine base is one of seven finalists in a siting review process that initially considered 15 bases, according to U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King.
If the Bangor base is chosen, the 101st Air Refueling Wing of the Maine Air National Guard will receive eight Boeing KC-46A Pegasus air refueling tankers to replace its aging fleet of 10 Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers.
"The men and women of the 101st Air Refueling Wing have consistently demonstrated excellence in the air refueling mission," said Col. Byron Newell, unit commander, in a statement.
In addition to Bangor's vital strategic location, Newell said it makes sense to keep the nation's most connected and capable air refueling platforms based in Maine to ensure a strong homeland defense and powerful strategic deterrence.
Air refueling tankers transfer fuel from one aircraft to another while both are in flight, according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. A tanker connects to planes with a long hollow boom that transfers fuel midair, allowing planes to fly long distances without landing.
The Stratotanker entered service in 1957 as the first jet-powered refueling tanker. Manufactured through 1965, many have been flying for over 60 years.
In service since 2019, the Pegasus is on track to replace about one-third of the Air Force's aging refueling tanker fleet, comprised mostly of Stratotankers, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Each Pegasus costs $160 million to $170 million. It is equipped with defensive systems for operations in contested regions and has improved refueling capacity, efficiency, cargo and aeromedical capabilities.
Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, acting director of the Air National Guard, informed the Maine senators last week that the Bangor base was among the seven finalists, along with bases in Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio and Illinois.
Collins hosted Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall in June on his first dedicated visit to the 101st Air Refueling Wing, also known as the MAINEiacs. Bangor and the other finalists will be subject to further consideration and site visits.
Collins, a Republican who is ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said Bangor's selection as a finalist is a testament to the MAINEiacs' worldwide reputation for dedication in accomplishing the refueling mission.
She called the Bangor unit "the gold standard of a refueling wing" and noted that she has "such pride in the Mainers who have been faithfully performing this mission."
King, an independent who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said there is no more strategic air refueling wing than the Bangor unit.
Receiving new Pegasus tankers would ensure " Maine remains at the forefront of contributing to our national defense," King said. "The MAINEiacs are one of our state's greatest success stories, and I'm proud to advocate on behalf of these brave men and women who work to defend our freedoms."
A final decision in the selection of a main operating base for the Pegasus fleet is expected by the end of next summer, pending environmental reviews. The first aircraft would arrive at the selected location in 2030.
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