KC-46A tanker still has 6 category 1 deficiencies, but fixes are in the works: USAF official
Each KC-46A will take about two months to retrofit with a new vision system, according to the Air Force’s program lead, a fix that will address two of six remaining critical defects in Boeing’s Pegasus air refueling tanker.
By MICHAEL MARROW
on August 04, 2023 at 11:52 AM
DAYTON, Ohio — More than a year and a half after a government watchdog flagged several serious problems with the KC-46A Pegasus refueling tanker, a total of six category 1 deficiencies remain on the aircraft, according to an Air Force official who also provided new details on the timeline for several fixes.
“We’re down to six Cat 1 DR’s” said chief of the Air Force’s program office Col. Lee Ottati during the Life Cycle Industry Days conference here, using a shorthand for category 1 deficiency reports.
Category 1 deficiencies indicate a serious problem with an aircraft, which Air Force spokesman Brian Brackens said “are those which if uncorrected may cause death, severe injury, or severe occupational illness; or may cause loss or major damage to a weapon system; or critically restricts the combat readiness capabilities of the using organization; or which would result in a production line stoppage.”
Seven category 1 deficiencies were previously listed in a January 2022 report by the Government Accountability Office [PDF], though many were identified prior to that report. One deficiency, an issue with the jet’s flight management system, was downgraded to a category 2 problem in April, Ottati said. The issue will remain open to ensure software fixes are functioning properly, he added, after which the deficiency will be closed out.
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/08/kc-46a-tanker-still-has-6-category-1-deficiencies-but-fixes-are-in-the-works-usaf-official/
