(Reuters) - Boeing ( BA ) said on Thursday it has secured a $2.38 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force to build 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tankers under the Lot 11 procurement.

Boeing ( BA ) now has 168 KC-46A tankers on contract globally.

Since 2019, Boeing ( BA ) has delivered 89 KC-46As to the U.S. Air Force and four to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

In October, the KC-46A Pegasus was deployed for its first full-scale mission after being approved for global combat operations in 2022.

The KC-46A Pegasus is a military aerial refueling and strategic transport aircraft developed by Boeing ( BA ).