The KC-46's improved Remote Vision System, dubbed RVS 2.0, is “likely” to be delayed into 2026, the Air Force’s top acquisition executive said March 12. Air Force assistant secretary for acquisition, technology, and logistics Andrew P. Hunter also said the service is poised for progress ...
The Air Force’s KC-46 tanker has been plagued by issues for years now, most of them related to its Remote Vision System and refueling boom. But a Pentagon report released late last month detailed problems with another key Pegasus feature: its Wing Aerial Refueling Pods.
More than six years after the Air Force identified the first serious deficiency on the KC-46 tanker, six such “Category 1” deficiencies remain, an Air Force official told reporters last week. One, however, was downgraded in April, said Col. Leigh Ottati, chief of the KC-46 ...
The Air Force awarded Boeing a $2.2 billion contract for 15 KC-46 tankers, the ninth lot of the aerial refuelers, just days after the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center acknowledged a previously undisclosed deficiency with the aircraft. The latest purchase order is roughly the ...
While Boeing and the Air Force inch forward with their plans for the Remote Vision System 2.0 aboard the KC-46, the two organizations are also working on fixes for the troubled tanker’s other deficiencies—deficiencies that continue to limit the aircraft. The most prominent of these other ...
Air Mobility Command is investigating a potential Class A mishap involving a KC-46 Pegasus tanker that left the plane’s boom and fuselage damaged in October. The incident was first reported after images circulated on social media showing the refueler with a cracked boom and a ...
Development of the KC-46 Pegasus tanker might have fared better if it had been a cost-plus, rather than a fixed-price program, and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said, "I'll take the hit" for that approach. Though progress has been slower, the KC-46 is now ready ...
In a new audit, the Government Accountability Office warns the Air Force to take its time vetting the KC-46's new vision system, saying that if flaws aren't found early, it could cost the service dearly later. The Air Force responded that it's doing due diligence ...
The arrival of two KC-46 Pegasus refuelers to the 305th and 514th Air Mobility Wings on Nov. 9 proved both joyous and bittersweet for Airmen as the new capability signaled the end of the KC-10 era at the base even amid continued concerns about air ...
Air Mobility Command on Aug. 6 announced it is freeing up the KC-46 for more operations, allowing the tanker to refuel C-17s, B-52s, and other KC-46s in some circumstances. The move is the second “interim capability release” for the troubled tanker. AMC last month cleared ...
Air Mobility Command on July 9 officially opened up the KC-46 to some limited operations, clearing the Pegasus to use its centerline drogue. The move is an official green light to conduct activities the Pegasus has been doing for months—using its secondary refueling system to ...
The Air Force and Boeing are addressing two additional Category 1 deficiencies in the KC-46 in addition to the four remaining Category 1 problems involving the aircraft’s refueling system. The previously unannounced issues are with the aircraft's receptacle drain line tubes and Flight Management System, ...