New York lawmakers are promoting Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station to be the third main operating base for the new KC-46A Pegasus tanker, which is expected to begin replacing the nearly six-decade old KC-135 Stratotanker in 2016.
The base, already already equipped with many of the components needed to hold the refueling aircraft, would be a cost-effective choice, the lawmakers, including Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, said in a Feb. 24 letter to Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh and Lt. Gen. James Jackson, head of Air Force Reserve Command.
The Niagara Falls station once supported KC-135R missions, the lawmakers said in a news release. Its existing tanker infrastructure could be altered at a lower cost than completely rebuilding at another station, they said.
Reps. Brian Higgins, a Democrat, and Chris Collins, a Republican, also signed the letter.
The Air Force already has selected Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma and Pease Air National Guard Base in New Hampshire as main operating bases for the Pegasus. According to the lawmakers' news release, five installations will be chosen in April to proceed to the next round of the competition to select a third base.
