December 31, 2021
The U.S. Air Force's KC-46 Pegasus Tanker Has Serious Deficiencies
The Pegasus was originally scheduled for operational deployment in 2017 but has a long history of technical problems and cost delays—though in a rare win for taxpayers, Boeing has had to assume over $3 billion of those overruns at its own expense because it accepted a fixed-price contract.
by Sebastien Roblin
Here's What You Need to Remember: Unfortunately, defects in the camera reportedly make it harder for boom operators to get a good sense of the boom’s exact position. Furthermore, the automated system is reportedly “jerking” violently at the end of fuel delivery, damaging the receiving aircraft.
On January 10, 2019, the U.S. Air Force formally accepted delivery of its first brand-new KC-46 Pegasus tanker, an adaptation of the civilian Boeing 767 widebody airliner into a giant flying gas station and transport plane that can haul over 212,000 pounds of jet fuel. Four KC-46s are planned to begin service with the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB, Kansas, by February, followed by aircraft deliveries to the 97th Wing in Air Mobility Wing at Altus AFB, Oklahoma. The air force may eventually seek to procure as many as 179 KC-46s.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/us-air-forces-kc-46-pegasus-tanker-has-serious-deficiencies-198643
