The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a $16.8 million contract to enhance the software and data capabilities of the KC-46A multi-mission tanker.
The upgrades, announced on 22 July 2024, aim to improve the aircraft’s mission readiness and performance envelope.
The contract includes improvements to the Onboard Performance Tool software, which will allow for expedited mission launch and more efficient cargo loading.
These enhancements will enable aircrews to complete weight and balance calculations more quickly, facilitating faster aircraft loading and mission starts.
Lynn Fox, KC-46 vice president and program manager, said: “The U.S. 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.”
“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,” Fox added.
The new contract builds on a Block 1 upgrade contract awarded to Boeing in 2023, which focused on enhancing the KC-46A’s advanced communications, data connectivity and situational awareness.
These improvements are designed to increase aircraft survivability and operational advantage in contested environments.
The KC-46A offers significant advantages over the KC-135 aircraft it is replacing, including the ability to carry three times more cargo pallets, up to twice as many passengers, and over 30% more aeromedical evacuation patients.
To date, Boeing has delivered 84 KC-46A tankers to the U.S. Air Force and four to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
The ongoing upgrades and deliveries underscore the KC-46A’s growing importance in global military operations and its evolving capabilities to meet diverse mission requirements.
