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3d ago

Air Force Says KC-46 Vision Fix Has Been Validated

Successful tests open a path to a multi‑year retrofit of the tanker fleet that will influence whether the Air Force buys more aircraft.

An aerial view of a Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker parked at King County International Airport-Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, U.S, June 1, 2022. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File Photo
Screengrab from the Boeing video about the initial flight testing of the RVS 2.0 showing a refueling boom connecting with the receptacle atop a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. (Image credit: Boeing)

Overview

  • Boeing announced that it completed the first phase of flight testing for the KC-46 Remote Vision System 2.0 on June 4, validating upgraded cameras and control hardware in real refueling conditions.
  • RVS 2.0 replaces the original camera feed with a package of six lenses, including two long-wave infrared and four visible-spectrum cameras, and delivers images to a 4K Ultra HD 3D display for boom operators.
  • Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told Congress on June 9 that the service believes the 2.0 system is fixed and expects to begin rolling it into the production line in 2028.
  • The service and Boeing plan a service-wide retrofit of in-service KC-46s that will follow certification and is expected to take several years, with the Air Force estimating a seven-year schedule for completing the work.
  • The RVS problem is one of several faults that have reduced KC-46 readiness, including boom stiffness, nozzle-binding and structural cracks, and Boeing has reported more than $7 billion in losses on the program which will shape future procurement decisions.