After years of waiting, the US delivered to Israel the first of at least six, and possibly eight, KC-46 midair refueling aircraft for future potential attacks on Iran and other distant targets, the IDF said on Wednesday.
The KC-46 can carry up to 15% more fuel and double the refueling capacity per flight of its predecessor, the “Raam” refueling aircraft.
IDF Lt. Col. “A” said that had the KC-46 been in Israeli hands during the recent Iran war, it would have significantly increased the air force’s refueling and flying capacities.
He added that the KC-46 gives the air force a much fuller ability to roam and strike anywhere necessary throughout the Middle East.
While A said that some small adjustments needed to be made to the aircraft, he predicted that it would be operational almost immediately.
On May 4, Israeli’s Defense Ministry announced that this same KC-46 aircraft, to be known as “Gideon” within the Israel Air Force, had undertaken a maiden test flight within the US, and was expected to be delivered to the Jewish state in around a month.
This delivery could be a game-changer in providing Israel with much greater independence, if it decided to strike the Islamic regime in Iran, the Houthis in Yemen, or any other potential distant adversaries in the future, even if some later US administration were to oppose such a strike.
In the short-term, the move is suddenly surprisingly less necessary and imminent than once imagined.
Israeli assumptions had always been that the IDF might need to attack Iran without American help, which could require midair refueling. The IAF has had such a capability, but it has been limited.
However, ultimately Israel had some American help in attacking Iran, and has pushed its nuclear and ballistic missiles threats off by some years.
Iranian threat is not gone, and future US administrations may not help Israel
Still, those threats are not gone, and when they return, it is possible that a future US administration may be less ready to assist Israel and might even oppose a strike.
In that case, the KC-46 would enable Israeli F-35s, F-16s, F15s, and others to have much more significant mid-air refueling capabilities.
Most of Iran is at least 1,500 kilometers away; some parts are 2,000 km. away, and the Yemen Houthis are mostly at least 1,800 km. distant, with some parts beyond 2,000 km.
Recently, the IAF revealed that it has learned some new fast take-off methods to be able to fly to closer portions of Iran and back without refueling, though this significantly limits what targets can be hit within Iran, and how long the aircraft can remain in the sky if any part of the mission goes wrong or is delayed.
Aircraft is first of at least six procured by Defense Ministry
This Boeing KC-46 aircraft is the first of at least six (some officials have said as many as eight) tanker aircraft procured by the ministry’s Mission to the US and is part of a wide-scale force buildup program managed by the Defense Ministry on behalf of the IDF, which includes purchasing additional F-35s and new F-15IAs as part of a new NIS 350 billion decade-long budget focused on boosting future military power and independence.
Lt. Col. A said that another KC-46 is expected to arrive next month, two more next year, two more by 2030, and possibly another at the start of the next decade.
According to the ministry, the tanker aircraft will be equipped with Israeli systems and adapted to its air force’s operational requirements, enabling it to extend operational range and maintain air superiority across all theaters.
In July 2025, sources warned that Israeli delays in moving forward with aspects of its purchasing process allowed Japan and Italy to jump ahead in terms of receiving additional KC-46 aircraft.
In fact, there had been points at which Israel could have received the KC-46 aircraft in 2025, though at the very start, 2026 had been the expected delivery time period.
In June 2023, The Jerusalem Post viewed a Boeing KC-46 midair refueling aircraft at a conference in Paris and participated in a briefing within the aircraft with US pilot Capt. Cody Nelson.
Nelson, who has flown missions all over the world, said the KC-46 was “like a mobile gas tank” that carries 207,000 pounds of fuel (94,000 kilograms) and can refuel a wide variety of aircraft, including the F-35, F-16, F-15, and F-22 (which America possesses but Israel does not), thereby covering Israel’s various combat aircraft.
If properly coordinated to allocate a certain amount of fuel, each KC-46 could refuel around a dozen aircraft, he said.
It can fly for 16 hours straight – and for up to 24 hours if it receives midair refueling from another aircraft, Nelson said.
Moreover, its advanced avionics – compared to other similar aircraft – and its transparent glass cockpit provide pilots with a significantly improved visual outlook, he added.
The KC-46 does not refuel drones.
Besides the main reason that Israel wants the KC-46, with regard to Iran, the aircraft also has other potential uses.
The large aircraft can transport around 110 troops and also be used to handle 22 different medical rescue situations, Nelson said.
The KC-46 is outfitted with a kitchen, oven, bathroom, and temperature controls that allow it to better regulate the temperature levels, he said.