Military

US Air Force KC-46 Pegasus Air Tanker Still Plagued by Operating Problems - Report

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Air Force's Boeing KC-46A Pegasus long range aerial tanker is still plagued with problems on the boom it needs to use to refuel aircraft and fulfill its mission, the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) said in its Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report.
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"(R)estrictions persist on boom refueling due to RVS [Remote Vision System] and boom deficiencies," the report said on Friday. "Problems with the RVS also degrade the effectiveness of boom AR under certain lighting conditions."
A problem with the boom telescope actuator control can cause excess loads during receiver contact, making it difficult for some receivers to maintain contact position or lead to contacts outside of the receptacle, the report warned.
"This has prevented boom AR [air refueling] of the A-10 [ground support combat aircraft] until the boom actuator redesign is complete, but the excess boom loads are noticeable even with large aircraft such as the C-17. These shortfalls in RVS and the boom represent three of the remaining six open Category 1 deficiencies the program office is tracking," the report said.
The remaining Category 1 deficiencies in the aircraft involve leaks in the fuel manifold system, cracks and leaks in the refueling receptacle drain line, and cracks in the auxiliary power unit drain mast, the report said.
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