The US State Department has approved the sale of four KC-46A Pegasus aerial refuelling aircraft to Qatar in a deal valued at $4.5 billion, Iranian media reported. The package includes eight PW4062 turbofan engines, 10 AN/ALR-69A radar warning systems, and support and training equipment. The source portrays the transaction as part of Washington’s effort to use concerns over Iran and regional insecurity to expand arms sales to Gulf Arab states.

According to the source, Qatar’s overall cost exceeds $1 billion per aircraft when associated equipment is included. It contrasts this with the US Air Force’s reported procurement cost of about $200 million to $322 million per aircraft. The report also compares the KC-46A with the Airbus A330 MRTT, saying Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates paid about $300 million for each European tanker aircraft.

The source cites a US Government Accountability Office report saying the KC-46A has not met readiness and mission-capability standards since 2019. It lists refuelling-system, remote vision system, structural, fuel-leak, boom-separation and electrical problems, and says Boeing has spent more than $8 billion addressing defects. The State Department said the sale would help Qatar address current and future threats and support a strategic regional partner.