Post-Award Review Featured Details, Draft Schedule
Air Force and Boeing Company officials met for the KC-46A
program post-award conference recently to discuss program
specifics, including a technical overview of the program. The
discussions, which took place in Harbour Pointe, WA, featured
details of the in-line production process, draft integrated master
schedule, and logistics support and training. Air Force officials
toured the production line in Everett, WA, where Boeing will
manufacture the KC-46A.
During a recent interview with the Defense Writers Group, Air
Force Secretary Michael Donley discussed the KC-46A acquisition
process and said the service's senior leaders applied lessons
learned from the previous tanker-acquisition process. "We closely
evaluated why we did not succeed the previous time," Secretary
Donley said. "We took a long time to do that (with) several months
of intense internal analysis and debate on what the strengths and
weaknesses of our previous proposal had been."
After careful evaluation of the prior selection effort,
Secretary Donley said, Air Force leaders pared down to essential
requirements, built a solid team with the Office of the Secretary
of Defense and other participating services, and maintained
discipline throughout the process. "We staked out what we thought
was the best deal for the warfighter and the best deal for the
taxpayer in terms of how to structure that in the (request for
proposal), and we stood by it," Secretary Donley said.
The KC-46A is the first phase of a three-phase tanker aircraft
recapitalization effort, and the program will deliver 18 tankers by
late fiscal year 2017. Air Force officials noted the aircraft's
improved capability will include boom and hose/drogue refueling on
the same mission, worldwide navigation and communication, cargo and
passenger configurations on the entire main deck, improved force
protection and survivability, and multi-point air refueling
capability. With a maximum fuel capacity of more than 212,000
pounds, and the ability to transfer more than 207,000 pounds of
fuel, the KC-46A features a refueling receptacle that allows the
aircraft to receive fuel from other boom-equipped tankers at a rate
of 1,200 gallons per minute. This capability will allow the KC-46A
to dramatically extend its reach and flexibility for missions.
Artist's Rendering
The KC-46A, a variant of the Boeing 767 airliner, is to be
bought on a fixed-price basis, according to Air Force senior
leaders. Additionally, any significant changes to the contract will
need to be approved at a high level within the Air Force, further
limiting potential cost increases. Air Force pilots, officials
said, will benefit from state-of-the-art systems that meet future
mission requirements, to include a glass cockpit with 15-inch
diagonal, multi-functional electronic displays containing an array
of flight information and weather data.
The KC-46A is intended to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of
KC-135 Stratotankers, which has been the primary refueling aircraft
for more than 50 years. Service officials said the new aircraft is
designed to be combat-ready from day one and offers more refueling
capacity, enhanced capabilities, improved efficiency, and increased
capabilities for cargo and aeromedical evacuation. It will provide
aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and
allied nation aircraft.
ANN Salutes Master Sgt. Amaani Lyle, Secretary of the
Air Force Public Affairs