October 30, 2019
Tinker Air Force Base has completed the first hangar on its 158-acre campus which will house the maintenance hub for the KC-46A Pegasus. Construction of the campus is expected to continue through 2029, with the first of the new tankers expected to arrive for maintenance in June 2020.
“Today marks the beginning of the KC-46 era at Tinker Air Force Base and the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex. … It’s no accident our Air Force leadership selected Tinker Air Force Base for the Pegasus depot campus, given the base’s long and excellent track record maintaining the legacy KC-135 aircraft,” Lt. Gen. Gene Kirkland, commander of the Air Force Sustainment Center.
“This is an incredible space that is a result of a partnership between the state, city government, the Chamber, obviously the federal side, as well,” noted Lankford. “When the Air Force looked to where the best place to do this maintenance would be, they looked at the professionals here in Oklahoma and said they’re doing excellent work. This is a very significant moment for our state and the jobs in our area.”
The area that now houses the KC-46A campus was an abandoned rail yard purchased from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co. in a joint effort by the Air Force, city of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County for $44 million.
(Images courtesy of U.S. Air Force photos/Kelly White)
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