{"id":41428,"date":"2019-04-09T22:40:19","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T22:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/04\/09\/air-force-improves-new-inspection-plan-for-kc-46s-paving-the-way-for-deliveries-to-restart\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:23:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:23:59","slug":"air-force-improves-new-inspection-plan-for-kc-46s-paving-the-way-for-deliveries-to-restart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2019\/04\/09\/air-force-improves-new-inspection-plan-for-kc-46s-paving-the-way-for-deliveries-to-restart\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force improves new inspection plan for KC-46s, paving the way for deliveries to restart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. \u2014 The Air Force has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2019\/03\/14\/boeing-resumes-kc-46-tanker-deliveries-but-air-force-scrutiny-will-linger\/\" target=\"_blank\">decided to start accepting KC-46 tankers<\/a> from Boeing again after the discovery of foreign debris halted production <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/air-warfare-symposium\/2019\/02\/28\/air-force-forces-boeing-to-make-changes-after-problems-with-kc-46-production\/\" target=\"_blank\">for the second time<\/a>, the service\u2019s top weapons buyer said Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But before that happens, all KC-46s will now be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/air-warfare-symposium\/2019\/03\/01\/air-force-suspends-kc-46-tanker-deliveries\/\" target=_blank>subject to stringent inspections <\/a>that will scrutinize all sealed compartments of the plane for foreign object debris, or FOD. That includes tankers already delivered to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., and Altus Air Force Base, Okla., which will have to have their fuel tanks drained so that personnel can climb in and determine whether FOD is present.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/04\/02\/air-force-again-halts-kc-46-deliveries-after-more-debris-found\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/KC46-ceremony.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Air Force again halts KC-46 deliveries after more debris found<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Similar debris problems halted Pegasus deliveries for more than two weeks about a month ago.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe planes that we have out on the field will have to go to a Boeing facility and have these significant inspections done on them. We\u2019re working that in coordination right now,\u201d Will Roper, the Air Force\u2019s assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, told reporters on the sidelines of the Space Symposium here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe FOD that we\u2019ve found poses no safety of flight risk. It\u2019s well within what DCMA [Defense Contracts Management Agency] finds on many aircraft programs. But it\u2019s not acceptable to have it on a new aircraft that we bought. We want clean aircraft, and we expect Boeing to do the inspections on their nickel and get us aircraft that were the ones that we contracted for.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/breaking-news\/2019\/01\/10\/boeing-delivers-first-kc-46-but-fixes-to-technical-problems-still-years-away\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/KC-46-row-1-1.jpg-1.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Boeing delivers first KC-46, but fixes to technical problems still years away<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Boeing could miss out on $1.5 billion if the maximum withholding is applied to all 52 tankers on contract.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roper approved the new inspection plan on Friday. Although the Air Force is still working with Boeing to figure out the exact timing of when deliveries will restart, Roper said he anticipates the service accepting two new tankers next Friday, pending the timing of fuel tank inspections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s unclear how long it will take for Boeing to recheck the KC-46s that have already delivered. Roper said the goal is to minimize any impact on training. One option involves swapping an already delivered aircraft with one that is coming off the production line, but the service\u2019s acquisition wing is waiting for Air Mobility Command head Gen. Maryanne Miller to weigh in with how much risk she is willing to expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat we don\u2019t want to do is pull airplanes out in an ad-hoc fashion and deny them that training,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen they tell me, \u2018Here are the number of airplanes that I need at McConnell, here is what I need at Altus,\u2019 we can put the optimal plan together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force stopped accepting KC-46s on March 23 after finding FOD in closed compartments on a tanker moving through Boeing\u2019s Everett production facility. This followed a previous stoppage that spanned from Feb. 21 to March 11 due to multiple occurrences of FOD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a statement, Boeing spokesman Chick Ramey said that the company remains focused on ensuring future aircraft are delivered to the Air Force without foreign debris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve seen good progress as the result of our action plans and are coordinating with the Air Force on timing for the next delivery,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far seven tankers have been delivered to Altus and McConnell, with the latter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2019\/01\/25\/the-air-force-gets-its-first-new-kc-46s-an-event-decades-in-the-making\/\" target=_blank>receiving the first ever KC-46 in January<\/a>. Boeing officials were bullish about the delivery schedule then, saying it was within the realm of possibility that the Air Force will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2019\/01\/25\/air-force-secretary-confirms-key-kc-46-milestone-wont-occur-until-2020\/\" target=_blank>accept 36 tankers by the year\u2019s end<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the numerous problems with FOD that have been discovered, Roper added that he was pleased by the response of Boeing officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo be frank, they\u2019re embarrassed by this issue, but the only way that they can implement their changes is if we get the line flowing again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The next KC-46 deliveries could occur as early as next 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