The handover took place at the Pratica di Mare Air Base south of Rome, where the aircraft flew in from Boeing's facility in Kansas, an Italian air force statement said.

Before entering service, the aircraft will "undergo a series of tests and activities," the statement said.

The Italy KC-767 tanker transport offers superior range, payload and offload capability, and will provide exceptional operational flexibility, military experts say. The advanced aerial refueling boom is designed for interoperability within the NATO military alliance.

The KC-767 tanker can refuel using either the most technically advanced boom system, wing tip air refueling pods, or centerline hose and drogue system.

The KC767-A replaces the B-707T/T tanker that was previously flown by the Italian air force.

"It allows for troop and cargo transport, as well as refueling from a rear boom and three hose and drogues -- one under each wing and one under the main fuselage," the Defense News Web site reported.

The second aircraft is due to be delivered later this year. It is presently undergoing tests at Boeing, Italian military officials said.

Boeing and the Italian air force have agreed to further enhance present capabilities on the final two Italian KC-767 tankers. Neither side has clarified what those enhanced capabilities entail. Still, that effort is now under way.

Three crewmembers are required for transport flights and four for refueling missions.

Boeing tanker plane program has been bogged by delays. The delivery came after the company resolved problems with the planes' fuel-carrying wing pods, which had caused the wings to flutter at high speeds.

The delivery comes five years after the 767-based air tankers were initially scheduled for arrival. The delivery also coincides with a decision from the U.S. Air Force on whether it will buy 179 refueling aircraft from Boeing or its European EADS rival. The contract is estimated at up to $50 billion.

Boeing officials have previously acknowledged that they face penalties for delays in the contract. It wasn't immediately clear what penalties the company faced with the present delivery.

The U.S. Air Force has tried two previous times to replace 179 of its aging KC-135 tankers. It plans to announce the winner of the coveted contest next month.

Boeing delivered the last of four 767-based refueling tankers to Japan in January.

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