WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The KC-46 fleet was most recently scheduled for arrival this spring at bases in the US states of Kansas and Oklahoma, but Air Force officials determined that the timeline needed to be extended, the release explained. As a result, the delivery has been pushed back to late summer or autumn of 2017.
"The Air Force considers the KC-46 a critical capability and it's important to take the time necessary to get it right," Air Force Executive Officer for Tankers Brig. Gen. Duke Richardson said in the dispatch. "There is no increased cost to the government as a result of these changes."
The tanker being developed by Boeing from its 767 jet is intended to replace the Air Force’s 60-year old fleet of tankers. The technical difficulties with the KC-46 involve the boom that connects the tanker with aircraft to deliver fuel while in flight.
