KC-46 deliveries set to resume next week

A Boeing KC-46A Pegasus takes off at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Oct. 25, 2018, during a system evaluation. This is the first time the KC-46A visited Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

WASHINGTON — Following a suspension of deliveries in late February, the US Air Force is ready to accept new KC-46A Pegasus refueling tankers from manufacturing Boeing as soon as next week, according to the service’s top acquisition official. 

During a hearing held by the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee today, Darlene Costello, who is performing the duties of the Air Force’s acquisition chief, said the service and Boeing “have identified the root cause” of a cracking issue that has held up deliveries, and that officials have “begun the process to resume deliveries.” The first delivery is expected next week, she added.

Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Officials previously decided to pause deliveries due to cracks found on the aircraft’s “outboard fixed fixed-trailing-edge support structure.” The cracks were not a safety of flight concern, the service said, but needed to be addressed before an aircraft could return to service. 

A source with knowledge of the program previously told Breaking Defense that the issue revolves around cracks found on the aileron hinges of two aircraft yet to be delivered to the Air Force. The service and Boeing have been aware since 2018 that the KC-46 — like its parent aircraft, the commercial 767 — could develop cracks to the aileron hinges over time, but the discovery of cracking on brand new aircraft led the service to stop deliveries.

All 89 Air Force KC-46s have been inspected, Costello said today, and cracks were discovered on 21. All except three have since been repaired.

The resumption of deliveries is a bit of a relief for Boeing, though the tanker flew into new headwinds this week after the Air Force revealed that a fix for its vision system would be delayed until 2027.