KC 46 e KC 767 AMI quali problemi?

[TT-1 Pinto]

KC-46A ... prima consegna alla Japan Air Self-Defense Force ...

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Boeing has delivered its first KC-46A tanker to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) marking the program’s first delivery to a customer outside the United States.
“This is an exciting and historic moment for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and Boeing as Japan joins the United States with the world’s most advanced, proven and safe multi-mission combat aerial refueling capability,” said James Burgess, Boeing vice president and program manager, KC-46 Program. 
“We are looking forward to decades of partnership with our Japan customer to ensure aircraft mission effectiveness and enable the success of the JASDF.”

... boeing.mediaroom.com ... https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=130952 ...

 & 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Questo documento evidenzia la linea di condotta dell'Air Force in relazione all'approvvigionamento dei velivoli cisterna ...

... s3.documentcloud.org ... https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/21098773/report-to-congress-on-air-force-tanker-strategy-changes-nov-5-2021.pdf ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

KC-46 Pegasus ... consegnati il 49^ e 50^ esemplare ...

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The first two KC-46 Pegasus aircraft arrived at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey on Tuesday, making it the U.S. military’s first joint base to operate the new tanker.
The aircrafts’ delivery also marked the 49th and 50th KC-46 to be delivered to the Air Force, Boeing spokesman Jerry Drelling said in an email.
McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is expected to receive 15 more KC-46s in fiscal 2022, and another nine in fiscal 2023, the Air Force said in its release (*).

... defensenews.com ... https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/11/10/mcguire-dix-lakehurst-gets-its-first-kc-46s-and-the-air-forces-50th/ ...

(*) ... jbmdl.jb.mil ... https://www.jbmdl.jb.mil/News/Article/2839367/kc-46a-pegasus-arrives-on-joint-base-mdl/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Si amplia la gamma dei velivoli che possono essere riforniti dal KC-46A ...

Cita

Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command, approved a fourth Interim Capability Release (ICR) mission set for the KC-46A Pegasus, Dec. 6.
This ICR decision allows the KC-46A to refuel the AC-130J Ghostrider, HC-130J Combat King II, MC-130J Commando II, C-5M Super Galaxy and E-3G Sentry during U.S. Transportation Command-tasked missions.
“The KC-46A can now support nearly 70% of all receiver aircraft that request air refueling support from USTRANSCOM,” said Lt. Col. Kevin White, AMC’s deputy chief of Aircraft and Logistics Requirements Division and KC-46A Cross Functional Team deputy lead.

 

... af.mil/News ... https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2863942/amc-approves-4th-kc-46a-pegasus-icr-milestone/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Programma KC-46 ... si aggravano le perdite di Boeing ... 

Cita

Boeing’s losses on the KC-46 tanker program now amount to over $5.4 billion, after the company booked a $406 million charge against the program in its fourth quarter 2021 report, released Jan. 26.
It is the first Boeing charge on the KC-46 since the fourth quarter of 2020 when Boeing booked a $1.32 billion loss on the program, which brought cumulative losses on the Pegasus up to $5.037 billion at that point.
Boeing CEO David L. Calhoun, in a conference call with financial reporters, described the charge as due to “evolving customer requirements” on the KC-46. 
The Air Force is requiring Boeing to improve the performance of the tanker’s Remote Viewing System, which can create a distorted view of the situation at the back of the tanker for the boom operator, whose station is right behind the cockpit.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/kc-46-losses-now-top-5-4-billion-as-boeing-takes-a-new-402-million-charge/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Pensateci su due volte !!! 

Cita

The Government Accountability Office wants the Air Force to do more testing and evaluation of Boeing’s fix for the KC-46 Pegasus tanker’s Remote Vision System before proceeding with it, because the Air Force would be on the financial hook if it doesn’t work out.
In a new report released Jan. 27, the GAO said that Boeing’s fix for the RVS - one of a number of KC-46 deficiencies still being corrected - involves new technologies that may not yet be mature enough to move forward, posing a risk of cost and schedule growth.
Boeing has eaten more than $5.4 billion in overruns on the Pegasus. 
The company took a charge of $406 million on the program in the last quarter of 2021 that pertain to the RVS.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/gao-warns-air-force-think-twice-before-owning-kc-46-tanker-fix/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

LMXT KC-Y "Bridge Tanker" ... Lockheed Martin comunica ...

Cita

Lockheed Martin leaders announced today the LMXT strategic tanker aircraft will be manufactured in Mobile, Alabama, and Marietta, Georgia.
Introduced in September 2021, the LMXT is Lockheed Martin's offering for the U.S. Air Force's KC-Y "Bridge Tanker" Program competition.
"Establishing this production work in Alabama and Georgia confirms Lockheed Martin's commitment that the LMXT will be built in America, by Americans, for Americans," said Lockheed Martin Chairman, President, and CEO James Taiclet. 
"The LMXT will strengthen global security by enabling our U.S. service members to carry out their most critical missions at extended ranges. At home, the LMXT will strengthen job growth and manufacturing by drawing on the experience and talents of a high-tech American workforce in two states that are proven leaders in aviation."

... news.lockheedmartin.com ... https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2022-01-31-Built-in-Alabama,-Built-in-Georgia-Lockheed-Martin-Announces-LMXT-Strategic-Tanker-Manufacturing-Locations ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Un nuovo ruolo per il KC-46A ...

Cita

For the first time ever, a U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tanker has taken part in a “dual defuel” operation at an austere location. 
This process involves flying the tanker to an airfield where the fuel is then rapidly offloaded via dual hoses onto two different refueling vehicles. 
The fuel can then be distributed to other aircraft, for example, to support a deployed fighter unit, while the tanker makes its exit, minimizing its time on the ground and increasing survivability. 
While the KC-46 continues to face a variety of problems fulfilling its primary aerial refueling mission, this latest demonstration shows that the Air Force is, nevertheless, continuing to find new roles for the aircraft.
The dual defuel operation involved a KC-46 from McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, which arrived at the Northwest Field airstrip at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, as part of the recent Cope North 22 exercise.

 ... thedrive.com/the-war-zone ... https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44232/kc-46-tanker-shows-it-can-rapidly-unload-tons-of-fuel-to-thirsty-fighters-at-austere-airstrips ...

Qui si parla di trasferimento di carburante dall'aerocisterna a veicoli presenti sulla pista che, a loro volta riforniranno i caccia ... operazione diversa dal sistema di rifornimento a terra "hot-pit" utilizzato, in più di un'occasione, a Pantelleria dall'Aeronautica Militare con un KC-130J dal quale il carburante viene pompato direttamente agli F-35B ...

... theaviationist.com ... https://theaviationist.com/2021/06/10/itaf-raf-f35b-pantelleria/ ...

... theaviationist.com ... https://theaviationist.com/2022/01/29/italian-navy-and-air-forces-f-35bs-carry-out-joint-training-on-pantelleria-island/ ...

Modificato 10 Febbraio 2022 da TT-1 Pinto
***

[TT-1 Pinto]

Si torna a parlare del "Bridge Tanker" ... le cui prospettive di realizzazione sembrano svanire ...

Cita

The possibility of a “bridge tanker” competition to cover the gap between the end of the current KC-46 program and a future U.S. Air Force refueler is looking less likely as the service continues to refine its requirements for the future fleet.
The service in July 2021 kicked off the KC-Y program, with the goal of buying 140-160 tankers starting in 2029 after the last of the 179 Boeing tankers (KC-X) are delivered and before an Advanced Air Refueling (KC-Z) contract in the mid-2030s.

... aviationweek.com ... https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/multi-mission-aircraft/bridge-tanker-competition-usaf-looking-less-likely ...

Anche qui ... insidedefense.com ... https://insidedefense.com/insider/kendall-potential-kc-y-bridge-tanker-competition-appearing-less-likely ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Pegasus batte un record ...

Cita

A KC-46 Pegasus crewed by Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing flew for more than 24 hours, establishing a new Air Mobility Command record and covering more than 9,000 miles, the Air Force announced.
The 24.2-hour, record-breaking flight - which lasted from May 5 to 6 - was intended to gather data on the “feasibility, limitations, potential risks as well as unique benefits of the KC-46 for long-duration flights” ...
Six pilots, three boom operators, a photojournalist, and a physician assistant took part in the flight, with two-pilot teams swapping out every four hours while a backup pilot team gathered data and took notes. 
The physician assistant onboard monitored the aircrew to ensure their safety and the safety of the mission.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/kc-46-sets-amc-endurance-record-with-24-2-hour-flight/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Cita

Lockheed Martin e Airbus hanno comunicato congiuntamente che il sistema di rifornimento in volo destinato all'aviocisterna strategica LMTX sarà prodotto da Airbus nella parte occidentale dell'Arkansas ... sempre che il velivolo venga scelto dall'Airforce nell'ambito del programma KC-Y ...

... news.lockheedmartin.com ... https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2022-05-18-Built-in-Arkansas-LMXT-Strategic-Tanker-Boom-Refueling-System-to-be-Produced-in-Western-Arkansas ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Soltanto cinque aerei dell'USAF restano in attesa della certificazione finale per poter essere riforniti in condizioni di operatività ...
Di questi l'unico che presenta tuttora i maggiori problemi è lo A-10 ...

Cita

Only five U.S. aircraft have yet to be operationally certified to refuel from the KC-46, but the Pegasus can still tank up those aircraft in an emergency, according to Air Mobility Command. 
The last certifications will be driven by test events and not a calendar schedule, AMC said.
While AMC announced June 2 that some 97 percent of U.S. Transportation Command air refueling taskings can be met by the KC-46, the tanker is not yet certified for the A-10 attack jet; B-2 bomber; CV-22 tiltorotor special operations turboprop; E-4 flying command post, and MC-130H special operations tanker.
“We’re continuing to work through operational certifications” on the last five airplanes, “but they face no technical hurdles,” an AMC spokeswoman said. 
The only jet that doesn’t apply to is the A-10, which is restricted because of the KC-46’s “stiff boom” deficiency, she noted. 
The issue affects lightweight aircraft such as the A-10 being unable to deliver sufficient power to compress the boom enough to maintain refueling position.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/five-us-aircraft-left-to-certify-with-kc-46-tanker/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Un KC-46 Pegasus ha rifornito in volo un convertiplano CV-22 Osprey ... 

Cita

A KC-46 Pegasus passed fuel to a CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor midair over Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., in June, a further expansion of the tanker’s ability to refuel USAF aircraft, according to an Air Force release.
The KC-46, from the 349th Air Refueling Squadron, refueled a CV-22 Osprey from the 20th Special Operations Squadron, using the centerline hose and drogue system used for helicopters, Navy/Marine Corps aircraft and foreign types. 
Most USAF aircraft use the boom-type refueling system.
Air Mobility Command recently announced that the new tanker is certified for about 88 percent of all the aircraft types it needs to be able to refuel.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/kc-46-tanker-refuels-a-cv-22-tiltrotor-for-1st-time/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Il Pentagono è alla ricerca di nuove configurazioni per i futuri velivoli destinati al trasporto e al rifornimento in volo ...

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The Pentagon has put out a call for blended wing body aircraft concepts that could be applied to future military tanker and cargo aircraft as well as commercial aircraft, according to a solicitation posted by the Defense Innovation Unit.
The Pentagon wants “concepts of design of an advanced aircraft configuration that provides at least 30 percent more aerodynamic efficiency than the Boeing 767 and Airbus A330 families of commercial and military aircraft, enabling operational advantages such as increased range, loiter time, and offload capabilities,” according to the solicitation.
The Boeing 767 and Airbus A330 are the bases for the KC-46 and KC-30 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, the only strategic tankers now in production.
An Air Force Research Laboratory spokesperson said the solicitation “is not connected to the KC-Y program” but did not say whether it’s related to the KC-Z, which the Air Force has not defined but could be a stealthy aerial refueling aircraft. 
The solicitation did not mention stealth or low observability, but BWB-type aircraft, as “flying wings,” would likely have a much lower radar cross section than traditional types.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/pentagon-seeks-blended-wing-body-concepts-for-possible-new-cargo-tanker-aircraft/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

KC-46A ... l'USAF si trova tuttora a dover affrontare i difetti che affliggono il sistema di visione a distanza in attesa che vengano trovate soluzioni definitive ...

Cita

The U.S. Air Force and Boeing are finalizing a new schedule for installation of an improved Remote Vision System (RVS) on the KC-46A tanker following the critical design review (CDR) for the overhaul.
Additionally, a software-only update to the system has been implemented and is being installed as of mid-July, the service says.
The Air Force and Boeing on June 28-29 conducted the CDR for the required upgrade of the RVS - a full replacement of cameras, sensors and the boom operator’s work station in the 767-based refueler first announced in April 2020. 
The CDR followed an extended preliminary design review that included a dispute between the two sides on the need to install new panoramic cameras as part of the RVS.

... aviationweek.com ... https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/multi-mission-aircraft/usaf-boeing-setting-new-schedule-remote-vision-system-upgrade ...

Anche qui ... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/kc-46-boom-operators-learn-to-live-with-rvs-pending-2-0-upgrade/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

I requisiti per il KC-Y verranno probabilmente resi noti in autunno ...  le analisi delle alternative per il KC-Z sono state invece fissate per il 2024 ...

Cita

The Air Force’s nascent KC-Z program, aimed at developing a next-generation family of systems for aerial refueling, will look to launch its analysis-of-alternatives study in 2024, years earlier than originally planned, a top acquisition official said Aug. 11.
Originally, the analysis of alternatives for KC-Z was set for “maybe in the 2030s,” Paul Waugh, program executive officer for mobility and training aircraft, told reporters at the Life Cycle Industry Days conference.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, however, directed that work on the next-gen tanker start much more quickly, “so we moved it to the left,” Waugh said.
That work will now begin in 2023, Waugh said, as the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center teams with Air Mobility Command on “pre-analysis of alternatives,” followed by the official analysis the next year, helping to “inform where KC-Z, the whole family of systems, goes,” Waugh said.
Waugh’s characterization of KC-Z as a family of systems follows on a request for information issued by AFLCMC that referred to a new Advanced Aerial Refueling Family of Systems program. 
That RFI emphasized technologies like survivability, autonomy, and interoperability, and Waugh echoed the RFI in stating that the tech developed for KC-Z could eventually make its way onto the rest of the tanker fleet.
“Some of that technology may make its way into KC-Y or KC-46, or KC-135. It just depends on what it is and where it’s at,” Waugh said.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/requirements-kc-y-fall-analysis-of-alternatives-kc-z-2024/ ...

Si fanno piani grandiosi per il futuro ... ma, al tempo stesso, si fa fatica a risolvere i problemi preesistenti  ...

[Flaggy]

KC-46 dalla strana livrea...

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/kc-46-tanker-with-puzzling-whitewashed-belly-spotted

[TT-1 Pinto]

Ennesima figuraccia ... in questo caso davanti a un gruppo di esponenti politici  ...   

Cita

A KC-46A Pegasus tanker jet gave a group of congressional staffers an impromptu lesson in airborne emergencies during an introductory flight this week.
Two of the Air Force’s new tankers took off Tuesday with a group of 16 staffers who work for New Hampshire’s congressional delegation - Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan and Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas. 
The guests were onboard for a firsthand look at the KC-46s that belong to the New Hampshire Air National Guard’s 157th Air Refueling Wing.
Pease Air National Guard Base in southeastern New Hampshire was the Air Guard’s first to receive the KC-46, which replaced its older KC-135 Stratotanker planes from 2019 to 2021.
When one of the airplanes demonstrated its ability to refuel other jets, the cable used to retract the fuel boom into the fuselage snapped. 
So, pilots diverted to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and landed the KC-46 with its boom still outstretched.
“Emergency services from the 305th Air Mobility Wing responded and safely secured the scene, with no fire or injuries to crew or passengers,” Pease said in a statement provided to Air Force Times on Thursday.

... militarytimes.com ... https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-air-force/2022/08/26/kc-46-forced-to-land-with-refueling-boom-out-stranding-hill-staffers/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Assegnati a Boeing due contratti relativi alla consegna di aviocisterne KC-46 all'USAF e a Israele ...

Cita

The Air Force has awarded a pair of contracts to Boeing potentially worth more than $3.1 billion combined for 19 KC-46s - four for Israel - the Pentagon announced Aug. 31.
The larger of the two deals is worth roughly $2.2 billion and will go toward the KC-46’s Production Lot 8, made up of 15 of the aerial refuelers, the contract award states. 
Work will take place in Boeing’s Seattle facility and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2025.
While those jets will go to the U.S. Air Force, the other contract calls for four tankers to be delivered to Israel. 
The cost cannot exceed $927 million.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/boeing-gets-3-1-billion-to-build-kc-46s-for-usaf-and-israel/ ...

Anche qui ... defensenews.com ... https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2022/09/01/israel-boeing-prepare-to-sign-927m-deal-for-four-kc-46a-tankers/ ...

 & 

[engine]

Intenzioni italiane :

https://www.itamilradar.com/2022/11/03/6-new-kc-46s-for-the-italian-air-force/

https://www.difesa.it/Amministrazionetrasparente/segredifesa/armaereo/Documents/ARMAEREO_2022/DAC0000178del27102022.pdf

Modificato 3 Novembre 2022 da engine

[Flaggy]

Non so quanto il portare i 4 KC-767 allo standard dei due nuovi KC-46 sarebbe stato praticabile ed economicamente conveniente essendo molte le differenze ma, scoprire che RID se ne esca con un laconico "Un’operazione molto complessa (..) che dimostra che il programma KC-767A non sia stato proprio un successo", lascia un po' stupiti...

https://www.rid.it/shownews/5286

Ok, avremo 6 nuovi aerorifornitori: ci auguriamo che nel frattempo avranno risolto tutte le magagne del KC-46 perchè non c'è bisogno di un altro non-successo...

D'altra parte The Avionist si sofferma sulle eccessive difficoltà nella trasformazione dei KC-767 più che sulla loro presunta inadeguatezza...

https://theaviationist.com/2022/11/03/italy-will-buy-six-kc-46-tankers/

Modificato 4 Novembre 2022 da Flaggy

[TT-1 Pinto]

Non chiamatelo più "KC-Z" ... ora la sua nuova designazione è "Next-Generation Air-Refueling System" (NGAS) ...

... airandspaceforces.com ... https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-launches-new-stealthy-tanker-program-with-delivery-projected-for-2040/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

L'USAF prevede che le consegne dei KC-46 riprenderanno il mese prossimo ...

... aviationweek.com ... https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/us-air-force-expects-kc-46-deliveries-resume-next-month ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

La Travis Air Force Base ha ricevuto il suo primo nuovo KC-46 ... mentre stanno riprendendo le consegne delle aviocisterne ...

Cita

La Travis Air Force Base, in California, è diventata la sesta base operativa principale per il KC-46 il 28 Luglio scorso, ricevendo la sua prima aviocisterna Pegasus, la prima accettata dall'USAF da Boeing da Marzo, quando un problema al serbatoio del carburante aveva interrotto le consegne.

... airandspaceforces.com ... https://www.airandspaceforces.com/travis-first-new-tanker-kc-46-deliveries-resume/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

KC-46 ... un aggiornamento sui difetti riscontrati ...

... airandspaceforces.com ... https://www.airandspaceforces.com/every-remaining-kc-46-deficiency/ ...