Despite the doom and gloom often expressed here and elsewhere, USAF appears to be confident in Boeing's ability to produce the tankers they want:
Boeing Receives $2.9 Billion For KC-46A
The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a $2.9 billion contract modification Sept. 10 for the fourth lot of KC-46A tankers.
The contract includes 18 aircraft, spares, support equipment, spare engines and refueling pod kits.
Boeing is now on contract for 52 KC-46 tankers. The company received its first two production lots for seven and 12 aircraft in August 2016. The third lot for 15 aircraft was awarded in January 2017.
“We’re excited to partner with the Air Force on an aircraft that will provide its fleet unmatched capabilities and versatility,” Mike Gibbons, the company’s KC-46A tanker vice president and program manager, said in a statement. “This is another big milestone for the team and we look forward to delivering this next-generation, multirole tanker for years to come.”
The program received its supplemental type certificate from the FAA that verifies the platform’s refueling and mission avionics systems meet requirements. The platform still needs to receive its military type certificate (MTC) before delivering the first aircraft to the Air Force.
The company concluded MTC flight testing in early July, which included aerial refueling, defensive and other military specific systems. In total, 3,500 flight hours were completed, and more than 3 million lb. of fuel were offloaded during refueling flights with the F-16, F/A-18, AV-8B, C-17, A-10, KC-10, KC-135 and KC-46 aircraft.