Steady production no guarantee of KC-46 avoiding further troubles
A KC-46A Pegasus tanker prepares for landing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. (Photo: USAF),
As Boeing continues to maintain a strong KC-46 production record, will negotiations between the manufacturer and the USAF on a RVS 2.0 baseline configuration prove pivotal to overcoming technical difficulties?
Boeing’s impressive record of delivering 55 KC-46A Pegasus tankers to the USAF in just over two years has been blighted by difficulties in developing a fully functional remote vision system, but new problems linked to panoramic display system deficiencies are also being exposed.
The major effort underway by the manufacturer to fix technical faults, more commonly listed by the USAF as Category 1 deficiencies, sits under the RVS 2.0 engineering design effort that will eventually integrate new 4K colour cameras with accurate viewing geometry, larger screens for air refuelling operator stations and a distance range finder for refuelling receiver aircraft.
Due
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Defence Notes
-
![UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour]()
UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour
A report from the Council on Geostrategy argues the UK should move away from a traditional balanced force and shift investment to naval, air and space capabilities, backed by a larger fleet of attack submarines and deeper AUKUS integration.
-
![Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain]()
Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain
Are all systems ready for the next mission? Have upgrades been applied? Are all assets aligned to deploy together, on time and fully prepared? In modern defence operations, readiness is no longer measured platform by platform. It is measured by how well people, assets, data and decisions move together — across land, sea and air.
-
![Global tensions drive defence supply chain scrutiny]()
Global tensions drive defence supply chain scrutiny
Governments worldwide are scrambling to decouple defence supply chains from dependency upon strategic rivals, but countries could struggle to do it all themselves.
-
![How deepening AI usage can boost efficiency and maximise effects for forces]()
How deepening AI usage can boost efficiency and maximise effects for forces
Saab has outlined how it is using artificial intelligence to make training more like electronic gaming, while the UK’s Power Size Technologies is applying the same technology to better evaluate and design vehicle capability, moving AI-enabled innovation further upstream from the frontline.
-
![From systems integrator to multi-domain solutions provider (video)]()
From systems integrator to multi-domain solutions provider (video)
Philipp von Brandenstein, Head of Corporate Communications at Rheinmetall, explains how Eurosatory 2026 marked a new stage in the company's evolution.
