Boeing KC-46 Pegasus Tanker

[corsair91]

Boeing KC-46 Pegasus Tanker

Boeing KC-46 Pegasus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_KC-46_Pegasus

Boeing air tanker version of the 767 jet airliner which was up against
Airbus partnered with Northrop Grumman to offer the Airbus A330 MRTT, the tanker version of the A330, which was being marketed to the USAF under the company name, KC-30.

On 29 February 2008, the DoD chose the Northrop Grumman/EADS KC-30, over the KC-767.
The Airbus KC-30 was subsequently designated KC-45A by the Air Force,
airframes to be built in a new plant in Alabama,
and Northrop Grumman to complete final fitting out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EADS/Northrop_Grumman_KC-45
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A330_MRTT

The A330 MRTT has now been ordered by Australia, France, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea and by NATO in a multi-Nation deal, all well aware of the Boeing Tanker horror show.


Boeing protested the loss of the contract and led to the contract being rebid.
Northrop Grumman dropped out unhappy about bidding issues
asserting a pro-Boeing bias in the new contract bid requirements.

In 2011 The Air Force announced the selection of Boeing's KC-767 tanker bid and the aircraft was designated KC-46A. Boeing underbid on the price
as still esssentially the same planes as before.

Development costs were projected to overrun by then only about $300 million on the fixed cap contract with Boeing having to pickup the tab.
Overrun costs continue to increase.

Boeing hopes to make its money on Foreign Sales as US contract is a
loss leader. Only boeing bias contracts pick Boeing, everybody else
goes Airbus.

The KC-46 uses a similar Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System to the Boeing 737 MAX which caused crashes, but on a 767 airframe with 2 sensors rather than 1 on the 737 Max.
Air Force to review training and operational procures.

The Air Force experiences chronic leaks issues with the Tanker
and took delivery of the first KC-46 in Jan 2019 instead of the original 2016 date and still outstanding issues with tanker.

The USAF halted all deliveries until further notification, as loose material and debris were found in planes already delivered.


Boeing pitched the KC-46 to the Polish Air Force and South Korea for their tanker requirement.
Poland and South Korea goes with Airbus A330 MRTT as the better built plane, a tanker that doesn't leak.


https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/03/31/the-air-forces-kc-46-tanker-has-another-serious-technical-deficiency-and-boeing-is-stuck-paying-for-it/

excessive fuel leaks problem


https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a31995097/boeing-k-46-tanker-aircraft/

Inability of the tanker to refuel the A-10 Warthog.
The plane doing the bulk of close-air support.
Air Force overlook the A-10 in the requirements provided to Boeing.

The most embarrassing problem, however was the discovery of garbage inside the skins of tankers delivered to the Air Force. The service discovered discarded aluminum shavings and even tools inside sealed up sections of the aircraft, raising concerns that such trash could cut wiring and cause electrical problems during flight


https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/fuel-is-leaking-from-the-boeing-kc-46a-in-flight-refuelling-tanker/137624.article

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/broken-boeing-airplanes-are-going-military-thanks-corruption-bad-decisions-ncna1153671

Broken Boeing airplanes are going to the military thanks to corruption and bad decisions
It's scandalous that Boeing was forgiven so many past screw-ups that now the Air Force has to beg it to fix the dysfunctional planes the company's delivering.



USAF's other problem child

When It Comes to Supersonic Flight, the F-35’s Wings Are Clipped
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a32304032/f-35-supersonic-flight/

The stresses of flying at supersonic speed threaten to erode a F-35's stealth coating and damage key antennas embedded in the tail of the aircraft, so spending a fortune on a Stealth plane that simply isn't Stealthy.

only fix so far is to limit the top speed, so enemy planes can now outrun
a F-35. A Stealth plane that now can't close the range to kill anything.


Never mind being a ground attack plane without a working gun
for a long period of time

The idea of an expensive Stealth plane doing Ground attack
(supposed to replace A-10 warthogs)
where one nick by AA ground fire shrapnel or SAM missile
debris will totally remove any Stealth advantage and you have wasted all that money.

Use Stealth planes as Top cover for ground attack A-10 bomb trucks
is a much better idea.
For ground attack you want good loiter time, lot of weapons
on hardpoints and good slow speed manoevering
and preferably cheap cost as will be shot at repeatedly.

Not Stealth Characteristics with limited internal weapons bays only
and most certainly not a cheap cost.

The other stealth fighter, F-22 raptor urban myth is that
the stealth doesn't work in the wet and it does rains in Europe
and other parts of the world.


It has often been suggested if the USAF can't buy more F-15s,
Buy Su-27 Flanker airframes and fit US engines, avionics
and weapons. Slap some radar absorbing panels on it if required.
Will Never happen but is the best option apart from more F-15s
and also buy more A-10 warthogs.

The Serbians managed to shootdown a F117A Nighthawk Stealth
so any stealth advantage is time limited as better sensors and
weapons are always in the works and alternate tracking such as IR
is also available.


Another urban myth about the F-22 Raptor was when some
made an appearance at one of the Farnborough airshows in the UK,
the Brits were able to radar track it, not something
that is supposed to happen with a Stealth Plane.