(US) Air Force Magazine Article - KC-46A - March 3
Post# of 2306
Key extracts:
"service would not use the new KC-46 tanker unless absolutely necessary to fight a powerful adversary"
"the RVS (Remote Vision System) doesn’t focus well enough to connect, sometimes causing the operator to hit the nearby plane"
"KC-46 is slated to be ready for operations in 2023 or 2024"
"KC-46 is a $32 billion, 179-jet program expected to deliver aircraft into the late 2020s, after the Air Force received its first Pegasus more than a year behind schedule"
"The service is buying about a dozen of the aircraft each year, though its top uniformed officer said the product isn’t worth the cost right now."
https://www.airforcemag.com/goldfein-usaf-won...VKcBJaUGlQ
My opinion:
I would not be surprised if the USAF orders less than 179 x KC-46A for the KC-X program - with the buy limited to the number needed for certain other special missions that the general public are not aware of (the aircraft have additional wiring for these).
The US TRANSCOM review will probably recommend a contractorized solution for all of KC-Y and perhaps some of the later tranches of KC-X.
KC-Z is expected to be a "stealth" design tanker - more suitable for penetrating near-peer enemy airspace.
If President Trump is re-elected, I believe we can expect a "value for money" review - as was very successful in driving down costs on the entire F-35 A/B/C program, the replacement Presidential aircraft fleet and the replacement Presidential helicopter fleet.
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