Plan To Fix Troubled KC-46 Tanker Risks Making Same Mistakes New Report Says
There are fears that Air Force’s new push to resolve critical problems with its KC-46As could actually cause new delays.
There are fears that Air Force’s new push to resolve critical problems with its KC-46As could actually cause new delays.
Boom operators on the Pegasus are apparently using workarounds like tracking shadows on receiver aircraft.
The B-1B fleet has suffered from very low readiness rates and airframe fatigue, so seeing four in formation at the same time is quite a treat.
The U.S. Air Force has admitted that it will not be able to deploy its new KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tankers on operational missions for at least another three to four years, due to persistent technical and quality control problems. This comes as the service continues to take delivery of the aircraft that appear to have extremely limited utility in the interim and the mounting delays could have cascading impacts on its plans to retire older KC-135 and KC-10 tankers in the coming years.
We finally are getting a good look at the KC-46’s most controversial feature, its remote boom operators station. In the past, we have only really seen images of ground-based simulators and mockups. The video system that feeds the station on the actual aircraft has major issues and will have to be completely overhauled.
Nobody kicks ass without tanker gas…Or caffeine!