The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded Boeing a USD 16.8 million (EUR 15.43 million) contract for software and data enhancements to the KC-46A multi-mission tanker that will further advance the aircraft’s mission readiness and performance, Boeing announced on 22 July 2024: the first day of the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA).
The contract includes upgrades to the Onboard Performance Tool software for expedited mission launch, with specific improvements for efficient cargo loading and take-off and landing data management for flight planning. With these enhancements, aircrews will be able to complete weight and balance calculations more efficiently and load the aircraft and initiate missions more quickly.
“The US Air Force and allies are performing crucial global missions with the growing KC-46A tanker fleet and finding ways to extract more capability from the platform,” Lynn Fox, KC-46 vice president and programme manager for Boeing, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “We’re collaborating to integrate enhancements like these and bring additional capabilities to the battlespace as rapidly as possible to meet the evolving needs of the mission.”
In 2023 the USAF awarded Boeing a Block 1 upgrade contract for the KC-46A, further enhancing the aircraft’s advanced communications, data connectivity and situational awareness to improve survivability and operational advantage in contested environments.
Boeing noted in its press release that the KC-46A can carry three times more cargo pallets, up to twice as many passengers and over 30% more aeromedical evacuation patients than the KC-135 tanker it is replacing.
To date, Boeing has delivered 84 KC-46As to the USAF and four to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
