On the military side, Boeing is facing another production challenge and the Air Force is feeling the pinch not being able to use the aerial refueling aircraft in critical situations.
First delivered to the USAF in 2019, the remote vision system—series of cameras used to steer the boom into another aircraft’s refueling receptacle—has failed to meet operational requirements.
In a statement to the Atlantic Council think tank, Army General Stephen Lyons said, “We’ve got to figure out a way to mitigate the delayed fielding of the KC-46…and the Air Force had already planned on the retirement of some number of KC-135s and KC-10s. If we’re not careful we’re going to see a dip in [available refueling aircraft] for the joint force.”
The Air Force says the tanker cannot be deployed in support of combat operations until the system meets the established operational specifications.
The Air Force and Boeing continue to negotiate a solution, and it appears that the solution may not be operational for another year or two.
Meanwhile, the Air Force is looking at the feasibility of leasing aerial refueling capabilities in the interim.