The Israeli Air Force on Wednesday received its first Boeing KC-46 “Gideon” refueling plane from the United States, the first of six KC-46 aircraft purchased by the Defense Ministry, in a move that will significantly boost Israel’s long-range strike capability, the IDF said.
The multi-role aircraft makes mid-air refueling possible for fighter jets and other aircraft, but can also be used for military transport.
The KC-46 aircraft are to replace the Israeli Air Force’s current fleet of aging Boeing 707s refueling planes, which played a key role in Israel’s recent wars against Iran. However, the IAF has largely relied on using US Air Force refuelers to enable jets to carry out strikes in Iran, some 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from Israel and far outside the normal flight range of Israeli jets.
According to the military, the KC-47 can carry up to 200,000 pounds of fuel, a 15 percent increase over the previous model. It is also more efficient than the 707, the IDF said, which will increase the flight time, allowing for longer refueling missions.
The aircraft was inaugurated at Nevatim Airbase during a ceremony attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Omer Tischler.
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“The arrival of the new plane significantly strengthens the air force’s superiority in the ongoing multi-front war and in long-range operations,” the IDF said, noting that the aircraft also provide “advanced transport and multi-mission capabilities.”
The Israeli Air Force’s newly inaugurated Boeing KC-46 ‘Gideon’ refueling plane, seen flanked by two F-35 fighter jets, in a handout picture released by the IDF on May 27, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
“Here, from the runways of Nevatim Airbase, refueling aircraft took off around two months ago and carried the entire air force to Iran on their wings,” Tischler said at the ceremony, referring to the US-Israel war on Iran.
“Even at this hour, the air force is in the skies – its aircraft and personnel are operating from the air and on the ground, striking Hezbollah with force,” he said, adding that the new KC-46s provide “more fuel, more payload, farther reach.”
During the recent war in Iran, which began with joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026, the IAF carried over 10,800 separate strikes on over 4,000 targets, including air defense systems, ballistic missile launchers, weapon production sites, nuclear facilities, various headquarters, and military commanders and leaders.
IAF fighter jets conducted some 8,500 sorties to Iran, the military said.
IAF F-16i fighter jets fly to Iran to carry out strikes, in a handout photo published on March 4, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
Each of those strikes had to be aided by aerial refueling, as fighter jets do not carry enough fuel to fly from Israel to Iran on one tank.
While Israel’s 707 refueling planes were deployed to aid in the strikes, the IAF heavily relied on US refueling planes, especially the KC-135 Stratotanker, many of which were stationed in Israel throughout the war.
US Air Force refueling aircraft are seen parked on the tarmac of the Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, on February 25, 2026. (Jack GUEZ / AFP)
The American military has said that it alone carried out 13,000 strikes on Iranian military targets during the recent conflict.
Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.
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