Nichols Martin
Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have completed all flight tests required for the company to deliver the first KC-46 tanker aircraft to the service branch in October.
The aircraft’s military type and receiver certification tests with the KC-135, F-16 and C-17 aircraft platforms concluded last week, Boeing said Friday.
KC-46 receiver testing activity kicked off in April and took place at Boeing Field in Washington and Edwards AF Base in California.
“With this milestone complete, the test program has demonstrated a level of maturity that positions Boeing to deliver, and the Air Force to accept, an aircraft by the end of October 2018,â€Â Will Roper, service acquisition executive at the USAF and a 2018 Wash100 recipient, said in a statement released Friday.
Mike Gibbons, Boeing KC-46A tanker vice president and program manager, said the company will now work toward obtaining a supplemental type certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration and formal MTC from the service branch.
The aircraft program is set to transition to a follow-on receiver testing and certification efforts needed to begin operational tests sometime in 2019.
