Sources: Reworked KC-46 Boom Refuels F-16, C-17
"FARNBOROUGH, England — The KC-46A Pegasus tanker has successfully refueled an F-16 and C-17, an important step as Boeing attempts to fix an issue with the refueling boom that earlier this year caused a major program delay. Two sources with knowledge of the situation tell Defense News that the reworked boom was able to refuel both aircraft. The US Air Force is expected to announce the news Wednesday afternoon.
It is especially notable that the C-17 was able to be refueled, as the issue with the boom was first discovered when the tanker went to fill the heavier planes in the Air Force fleet. The reworked boom design features a bypass, roughly the size of a paperback book, which helps control the fuel flow while refueling heavier aircraft. Boeing began flying the new boom design at the start of July. One source said the boom should be tested on the A-10 Warthog “soon,” which would represent the final receiving aircraft that needs to be tested to collect enough data for the service to begin a Milestone C decision review."..........