{"id":57184,"date":"2018-06-20T17:46:34","date_gmt":"2018-06-20T17:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/06\/20\/heres-when-the-air-force-will-get-its-first-kc-46\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:09:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:09:13","slug":"heres-when-the-air-force-will-get-its-first-kc-46","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/06\/20\/heres-when-the-air-force-will-get-its-first-kc-46\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s when the US Air Force will get its first KC-46 tanker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 After months of public \u2014 and sometimes contentious \u2014 disagreements, Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have finally settled on an October delivery date for the first KC-46 tanker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a result of months of collaboration, the Air Force and Boeing KC-46A teams have reached an agreed joint program schedule to get to the first 18 aircraft deliveries. This includes the expectation the first KC-46A aircraft acceptance and delivery will occur in October 2018, with the remaining 17 aircraft delivered by April 2019,\u201d Air Force Under Secretary Matt Donovan said in a statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile the KC-46A flight test program is nearly complete, significant work remains. The Air Force is looking forward to KC-46A first delivery and will continue to work with Boeing on opportunities to expedite the program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new schedule appears to be a compromise between Boeing and the Air Force\u2019s estimated timelines. For months, Boeing has held that it could deliver its first KC-46<\/a> this summer, with a total of 18 tankers delivered this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force projections have been much more pessimistic<\/a>, with first delivery at the end of the year, and 18 delivered by spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s clear that Boeing will not meet the required assets available, or RAA, deadline \u2014 a contractual obligation to deliver 18 certified tankers and nine refueling pods \u2014 whether it will have to pay a penalty for being late is still murky. The company has already had to pay more than $3 billion in pretax charges on the program due to repeated schedule delays and technical issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boeing has already missed its original RAA date, which was scheduled for August 2017, in addition to having to push back its first planned delivery a number of times<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/atype-video-jwplayer>
Get a unique look at KC-46 flight testing and construction at Boeing’s facilities near Seattle. (Jeff Martin\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

\u201cIn partnership with the U.S. Air Force, our team has made great progress on the KC-46 tanker,\u201d Boeing said in a statement. \u201cWith first delivery now set, the men and women of the Air Force know when they will start receiving this warfighting capability. The KC-46 is a top priority for The Boeing Company, and we have the best of Boeing working to ensure the U.S. Air Force gets their tankers as quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new schedule is the result of months of discussions<\/a> between the aerospace giant and the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top Air Force officials have recently made multiple visits to Boeing\u2019s tanker production facilities near Everett in Washington state, including Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein, who traveled there earlier this month; Donovan; and Will Roper, its acquisition executive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while the agreement on schedule is a big victory for Boeing, which has been raked over the coals for its performance and overly optimistic approach, it still needs to prove itself by delivering the tankers on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That won\u2019t be easy. The KC-46 currently has three outstanding category-1 deficiencies<\/a>, the designation given to urgent technical problems with no workaround in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\t