The aircraft were subsequently sold to the Canadian Armed Forces and converted for military use, entering service between December 1992 and August 1993.

[citation needed] Four of the five aircraft, numbered 15002 to 15005, were converted to the Combi-Freighter standard with a reinforced floor and side opening cargo door.

The Polaris tankers are capable of ferrying a flight of four CF-18 Hornets non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean, off-loading 80,000 pounds of fuel to the receiving aircraft over a 2,500 nautical mile (4,630 km) leg.

[6] The initial purchase from Canadian Airlines in 1992 included a support contract for service of the aircraft for a fixed number of flying hours.

[7] On July 22, 2023, the CC-150 15003 suffered severe damage to its tail in a rollaway collision with a French Air Force Airbus A400M parked nearby.

In November 2023, the Royal Canadian Air Force made the decision to scrap the aircraft in Guam, where it has been parked since the accident occurred.

The decision to outfit one of the five CC-150s as a VIP transport intended for use by the Prime Minister of Canada, made while Brian Mulroney held office, was politically controversial.

The $56 million in upgrades ($3 million of that went towards a private compartment with a dining room, entertainment area, fold-out beds and a shower) were criticized as a needless extravagance during a time of government budgetary challenges by then-Leader of the Opposition Jean Chrétien, who labelled the aircraft a "flying Taj Mahal".

The Department of National Defence, including Minister Peter MacKay, had resisted this request, noting that it was contrary to its multi-role nature and would compromise the aircraft's potential to safely transport personnel into a combat zone.

In October 2016, a flap issue forced the aircraft to return to Ottawa 30 minutes after takeoff while Trudeau was en route to Belgium to sign the Canada Europe free trade deal.

In March 2018, Prime Minister Trudeau's trip to India was delayed because of a mechanical issue during a refuelling stop in Rome.