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Significant Developments Since Last Report
KC-46 Remote Vision System (RVS): Program Office and Boeing continue to work toward resolution of
two CAT-1 DRs related to the RVS. The software-only ERVS retrofit re-start has been approved by the Program Office to resume in Mar 2023 beginning with the three remaining aircraft at Altus AFB.. Initial retrofits will be at a slower rate; however, the
plan is to ramp up to four aircraft per month by June 2023.
RVS 2.0 system Preliminary Design Review (PDR) was held in May 2021; in April 2022, the PDR was closed and the KC-46 contract was modified with the RVS 2.0 Product Baseline Design Specification (PBDS), which outlined the RVS 2.0 configuration baseline. An agreement between the USAF and Boeing was signed to establish a path forward on provisioning for a future panoramic sensor upgrade within the RVS 2.0 architecture.
RVS 2.0 Critical Design Review was held in June 2022. As a result of evaluating the data and assumptions that went in to the RVS 2.0 schedule, it was determined that an
additional 19 months will be required to achieve an Operational Military Flight Release (MFR) for the RVS 2.0 upgrade, resulting in
fleet release being delayed until October 2025. This change in schedule is driven by three main areas: sub-contractor development timelines, FAA airworthiness process assumptions, and USAF airworthiness policy integration. CDR closure is pending resolution of one remaining critical action item: Developing a jointly agreed-to plan for airworthiness certification of the commercial-off-the-shelf cameras. The team is continuing to evaluate methods to
achieve certification and expects to close CDR in early 2QCY23.
KC-46A Boom Telescope Actuator Redesign (BTAR): The Program Office and Boeing continue to work toward resolution of the
CAT-1 DR related to boom stiffness while in contact with receiver aircraft. Throughout CY 2022, the lab actuator was delayed due to some component modifications required to address non-compliances. An actuator solution was identified; the team successfully completed Free-Spin developmental testing in January and has successfully installed the actuator in the BTAR lab boom. Uncoupled and coupled lab testing is now being working.
Product Quality Deficiency Reports (PQDRs): During CY 2022, the KC-46 Program was tracking
four CAT-1 PQDR;
Fuels System Leaks, APU Drain Mast cracks, Flight Management System Instability, and Aerial Refueling Receptacle Drain Line Tubing Cracks. PQDRs are driving additional maintenance actions in the field. None of the PQDRs carry operational restrictions on fielded KC-46s.
Root causes and fixes were identified for all four CAT-1 PQDRs. A solution to Fuel Manifold Leaks is currently being fielded; APU Drain mast & door redesign/certification is complete with trial install complete on four aircraft; Flight Management System instability software update is projected for fleet release in 2nd Quarter FY 2023; and Aerial Refueling Drain Line Tube solution service bulletin ready in 3rd Quarter FY 2023.
Production: At the end of 2022, 109 Production and four Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) KC-46A aircraft were on contract. Sixty-seven have DD250'd and ferried to respective MOB. Of the remaining 46 aircraft yet to be DD250'd, 19 are in the supply system, 25 are in some stage of production, one is supporting flight test at the Military Delivery Center (MDC), and one flight test aircraft is in storage at Moses Lake, WA. Of those 25 in production; eight are in 767-2C build, 10 are undergoing KC-46A conversion, two are undergoing acceptance testing at the MDC, one is at Cecil Field Jacksonville completing Aerial Refueling R&R, and four are being stored in a partially built configuration: one1 at the Everett Modification Center (EMC) and three at the Everett Delivery Center (EDC).
Cargo: AFOTEC submitted a
CAT-1 DR for multiple Cargo Issues in January 2022. A board was held and the
DR was downgraded to a CAT-2 due to the DR criteria set forth in the USAF Deficiency Report, Investigation, and Resolution Technical Manual. Efforts have been underway since January 2022 with a team from the SPO, AMC, Boeing, and the test community. A total of
six short-term solutions are already on contract; some of these have already been fielded with the remaining solutions ECD in
Q3FY23. Additional short-term solutions will execute over the next two FYs. Take-Off and Landing Data (TOLD) request for proposal (RFP) was released 6 Oct 22. Boeing, SPO, and AMC continue weekly meetings to implement short-and long-term fixes to address cargo challenges.
Test/Aerial Refueling Certification: The KC-46 Test program continues work to certify receiver aircraft. In 2022, the
P-8 and B-2 received Category 2 (with restrictions) certification; Category 3 (no restrictions) certifications were issued for AV-8B (via WARPS) and MC/CV-22 (via centerline drogue).
The following are
certified as receiver aircraft with KC-46 to date:
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Category 2 (with restrictions): C-5M, C-17A, KC-10A KC-135(Tanker), KC-46, F-35A, B-52H, AC/ HC/MC130J, EC-130H, E-3B/G, RC/TC/WC/NC-135, B-1B; F-15C/D/E F-16C/D, F-22 F-35B & F-35C (both via centerline drogue), E-8C, and B-2.
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Category 3 (with no restrictions): F-18E/F (via centerline drogue), F/A-18A-D (via centerline drogue), AV-8B (WARPS), and MV/CV-22 (via centerline drogue) P-8.
Sustainment: The Industry Steering Committee (ISC) team completed review and the Chairman approved the August 2022 KC-46 Customized Maintenance Planning Document supporting manual revision cycle, v23. The supply team continues to focus on completing Logistics Reassignment (LR) as soon as possible. To-date, 17,038 consumable NSNs and 1,301 repairable National Stock Numbers (NSNs) have completed LR. The post-baseline numbers being tracked by the team include approximately 4,500 NSNs consumables: 1,500 NSNs with Effective Transfer Dates (ETDs), 2,000 NSNs pending ETDs, and 550 NSNs pending Boeing submission to the SPO / repairables: 440 NSNs in-review with 424th SCMS and 40 NSNs pending Boeing submission to the SPO). The team continues to work with Boeing, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) to get all residual Boeing managed NSNs submitted and staged for LR as quick as possible. The SE team has submitted 4,743 total NSN's to date.
Depot activation: Depot activation planning continued across
four lines of effort: aircraft, propulsion, commodity, and software activations. FY22 C-checks completed 17 of 17 on time. To date in FY 2023, seven of 32 C-Checks have been sold; four are currently in progress and are on schedule at Oklahoma City-Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC).
KC-46 Required Assets Available (RAA) APB Milestone: During the current reporting period
KC-46A APB Change 3 was approved, updating the RAA threshold and objectives. The updated objective is June 2023 and the threshold is December 2023. The last major criterion to satisfy RAA is delivery of nine Wing Aerial Refueling Pod (WARP) shipsets.
Four WARP shipsets have already been delivered.
There are no significant software-related issues with this program at this time.
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