U.S. Air Force KC-46 at McConnell AFB, Kansas, in February 2019.
RAF FAIRFORD, England—Boeing says it expects to deliver the KC-46’s new remote vision system in April 2026, placing a new target date on the long-awaited upgrade.
U.S. Air Force officials said earlier this year that the upgrade, known as Remote Vision System 2.0, would likely slip into 2026. Dan Gillian, the company’s vice president and general manager of Mobility, Surveillance and Bombers, told reporters at the Royal International Air Tattoo here that from a company perspective, it is tracking to deliver it in April of that year.
The statement comes as the service is reviewing a new Schedule Risk Assessment (SRA) from Boeing on the upgrade, which was delivered by a deadline of April of this year. The service’s review is expected to be completed this summer, with a firmer schedule to follow.
Before the SRA, the Air Force was expecting delivery in 2025, though Andrew Hunter, the service’s assistant secretary for acquisition, said in March that it was likely to slip into 2026.
Boeing and the Air Force have been facing issues amid the critical design review (CDR) of the program, including with FAA certification and acquiring the needed microelectronics.
The company is on track to deliver 15 KC-46s this calendar year, following a three-month pause that concluded in late May. The Air Force has a program of record of 183 KC-46s, and Gillian said there is an option for another five.
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