New U.S. Air Force Tanker Delivery Is Being Delayed Because Of Boom Problems

Boeing KC-46 tanker (left) flying alongside the older KC-135 © / AFP

Defense One: New Air Force Tanker Delayed Because It Can’t Refuel Planes

Boeing has eaten $1.3 billion trying to fix their KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling plane. Now new aircraft, USAF decision to buy more, pushed back months.

Boeing will not meet its contractual deadline to deliver 18 KC-46 tankers to the Air Force by August 2017 due to design problems with the plane’s refueling boom.

The delay, announced on Friday afternoon before the Memorial Day holiday weekend in the United States, comes after countless warnings that there was no more margin for error in the project’s schedule due to numerous technical problems that have cropped up over the past four years.

“Technical challenges with [the] boom design and issues with certification of the centerline drogue system and wing air refueling pods have driven delays to low rate production approval and initial aircraft deliveries,” Brig. Gen. Duke Richardson, the program executive officer for tankers, said in a statement.

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WNU Editor: On top of the delays, Boeing is hinting that the plane is going to cost more .... Delay to Boeing's KC-46 tanker raises risk of further costs (Reuters).

More News On The KC-46 Delivery Problems

Boeing's KC-46 Tanker Will Miss Major Deadline -- Defense News
Boeing air refueling tanker again falls behind schedule -- CNN
Boeing to delay delivery of KC-46 refueling jets to US Air Force -- IBTimes
KC-46A boom problem busts USAF schedule -- Flight Global
U.S. Air Force says Boeing will delay delivery of KC-46 tankers -- Reuters
Boeing to miss deadline on KC-46 tanker, no delivery till 2018 -- RT
Boeing Misses Target for KC-46 Refueling Tanker Delivery, Deadline Extended -- Sputnik
Boeing’s Tanker Troubles: Issues ‘More Complex’ Than Realized -- National Defense

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