The U.S. Air Force announced Sept. 4, 2013, that it has finalized the design of its future KC-46A aerial refueling aircraft.
"I'm pleased to report that the design of the KC-46A tanker has been locked down," said Maj. Gen. John Thompson, the Air Force's program executive officer for tankers. "This is great news for the nation’s warfighters.”
The announcement follows months of component and subsystem reviews and a three-day critical design review in July. Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have concluded that the proposed design can meet requirements, and validation clears the way for production and testing of the next-generation aerial refueling tanker.
The first fully equipped KC-46A is expected to begin flying in early 2015. Prime contractor Boeing, which began assembling the first wing June 26, is scheduled to assemble four test aircraft and deliver the first 18 combat-ready tankers by 2017.
The Air Force plans to buy a total of 179 KC-46As to begin replacing its KC-135 Stratotanker fleet. The KC-46A is based on the commercial Boeing 767-200ER, and the company has delivered more than 1,050 767s in all variants.