12 August 2019

Boeing delivers three additional KC-46As to US Air Force

by Pat Host

Boeing said on 9 August that it delivered three more KC-46A Pegasus aerial refuelling tankers to the US Air Force (USAF), raising its delivery total to 16.

Boeing spokesperson Charles Ramey said on 12 August that the company has delivered nine aircraft to McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, five to Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma, and two to Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire. Ramey said that Boeing expects shortly to sign formal delivery paperwork for two aircraft. An industry source told Jane’s on 12 August that these aircraft are expected to be physically delivered to the USAF by the end of August.

Boeing said on 9 August that it delivered three additional KC-46A tankers to the US Air Force and expects to deliver 18 aircraft by the end of August. (IHS Markit/Gareth Jennings)

The KC-46A programme continues to perform receiver certification testing. Ramey said the test team is flying with the Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy heavy transport aircraft, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, and the Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor. The industry source said that the C-5 and the F-22 are closest to completion and that the Rockwell B-1B Lancer bomber is likely next.

Wing aerial refuelling pod (WARP) testing is also ongoing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, as the KC-46A has been flying with Boeing F/A-18D Hornets in support. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a June report that Boeing continued to have difficulty providing design documentation needed to start Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) testing for the WARPs over the past year, which caused additional delays.

Boeing said on 9 August that it delivered three more KC-46A Pegasus aerial refuelling tankers to the...

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