Page 29 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

permanently solve the issue. Miller said
that while she had not yet been briefed
on Boeing’s proposal, her interest was
in permanent and not interim xes for
Cat 1 aws.

No other option?
Writing for news website Breaking Defense,
Theresa Hitchens headlined her KC-46
article ‘Too crucial to fail’. There is no doubt
that the USAF is short of tanker capacity,
and indeed its plan to go from the current
level of 312 squadrons to its planned
force size of 386 squadrons includes an
increase from 40 to 54 tanker units. The
tanker force expansion is the second
largest in the plan (after the intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance force)
and military systems are installed, As a result of these additional and relies heavily on the KC-46.
including the refueling systems and requirements, the USAF accepted aircraft In her piece, Hitchens quoted Todd
communications equipment. at a slower rate of about one per month Harrison, the director of the Aerospace
The discovery of this foreign object instead of the planned drumbeat of three. Security Project at the Center for Strategic
debris prompted the air force to Original plans called for Boeing to deliver and International Studies (CSIS) as saying,
temporarily halt KC-46 deliveries in 36 KC-46As to the USAF in 2019, but just ‘There is no other option at this point. The
February 2019, after the delivery of six 11 had been delivered by June. air force needs new tankers, and Boeing
aircraft to McConnell. The stoppage Above: A boom The latest problem to hit the KC-46A is the only one making them.’
lasted from February 21 until March 11, operator works emerged in September, when it was Many would disagree strongly with
after which training ights resumed. with the remote revealed that multiple cargo restraint Harrison’s assertion. Boeing is not the
vision system,
Acceptance of new KC-46s was halted which has been devices had become unlocked in ight. No only company making tankers, however
again on March 23 after debris was one of the major cargo or equipment moved and there was much it likes to present itself as ‘the tanker
again found in closed compartments, trouble items for no immediate speci c risk to the aircraft or company for the US and the world’, as
the USAF.
according to former Secretary Wilson US Army/Sgt crew, though the problem was potentially chief executive o cer of Boeing Defense,
who described it as a ‘manufacturing James K. McCann catastrophic, and was classed as another Space and Security, Leanne Caret put it.
discipline’ issue. The air force resumed Below: The Cat 1 de ciency. As a consequence, AMC At Getafe in Spain, Airbus turns A330
the acceptance of KC-46s from Boeing 418th Flight Test stopped the carriage of passengers and airliners into what many believe is the
after instituting stringent inspections Squadron from cargo for an inde nite period. world’s best tanker — the A330 MRTT
Edwards AFB has
of all aircraft, including those already spearheaded Boeing has proposed a two-step (Multi-Role Tanker Transport), which
delivered to McConnell and to Altus AFB, the air force’s solution, using tie-down straps to allow many view as a potential option. Indeed,
Oklahoma. Aircraft had to have their development the aircraft to carry cargo as an interim last year Lockheed Martin teamed with
test work on the
fuel tanks drained to allow for these Pegasus. USAF/ step. In the longer term, the company Airbus in a bid to o er ‘power-by-the-
inspections. Ethan Wagner plans to produce a more ‘robust’ x to hour’ solutions with these aircraft. Aircrew

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