Maine's Air National Guard base in Bangor is still in the running for an upgrade to its aging fleet of refueling aircraft.
The base was one of 15 facilities nationwide being considered for new refueling tankers. Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Angus King announced Friday that the list has been narrowed to seven — and that Bangor is still on it.
Commonly known as the MAINEiacs, members of the 101st Air Refueling Wing currently fly KC-135 tankers. But that design is more than 60 years old. And the Air Force plans to replace some fleets with Boeing's KC-46A planes, which have a larger fuel capacity and can re-fuel a broader range of military aircraft.
“Today’s decision by the Air Force is encouraging news and a testament to the MAINEiacs’ worldwide reputation for accomplishing the refueling mission as well as the dedication of all of the servicemembers in the 101st Air Refueling Wing,” Collins, who is the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, said in a statement.
“There is no more strategic air refueling wing than the 101st MAINEiacs in Bangor,” King, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. “I am glad the Air Force recognizes the strategic value of Maine and the Bangor Air National Guard Base.”
The Air National Guard is expected to announce next summer which base will receive the new refueling tankers, according to King and Collins.
