Boeing and the US Air Force are in new trouble with the KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft. The program, which has already been plagued by breakdowns, has come to a standstill once again after cracks were discovered in two newly built aircraft.
Boeing is no longer delivering any new Pegasus tankers until further notice. This is not the first time this has happened, but the reason is new: as the US portal "The Warzone" has exclusively learned, cracks were discovered "in primary and secondary structures" on two of four newly manufactured KC-46As for the US Air Force shortly before the planned handover. The problem was noticed by Boeing itself during an inspection and addressed accordingly, according to "The Warzone" from Air Force circles. As a result, the manufacturer has taken measures "to temporarily suspend deliveries until we fully understand the root cause and implement an effective corrective action plan."
It is unclear which "primary and secondary structures" of the two aircraft are specifically affected by the crack problem. In any case, the cracks did not occur on surfaces or hinges, it said. Boeing also announced that it was working "closely with the customer" to quickly find a solution "and mitigate any potential impact on the fleet and aircraft in production." At the same time, the US Air Force announced a corresponding assessment of all 89 KC-46A tankers already in service.
Problem aircraft KC-46A
This adds another chapter to the history of breakdowns of the USA's newest tanker aircraft, whose career began in early 2019 with a delay of several years and a host of unresolved defects. In any case, delivery stops and refused acceptances are nothing new for Boeing with the Pegasus program. Back in April 2019, the US Air Force objected to the delivery of new KC-46As because foreign objects such as forgotten tools and screws had been discovered in the aircraft awaiting acceptance.
Last year, the US Air Force refused to take delivery of new KC-46As for months because Boeing could not get to grips with problems with the fuel boom. During a routine inspection of one aircraft, technicians had previously discovered that a nut fuse wire in the boom's gimbal bearing, which allows it to move in all three directions, had broken. The Air Force then had all of its KC-46As inspected accordingly.
In 2023, Boeing had to suspend deliveries of new Pegasus tankers for several months due to difficulties with a supplier.
