Air Force Expects KC-46 Vision System in Early 2028 as Lawmakers Question Price Increase
The Air Force announced it now anticipates an updated vision system for the KC-46 Pegasus tanker will be ready in early 2028. The service outlined a three-part plan with Boeing to improve the fleet's readiness and availability. The update reflects a delay from the prior target of summer 2027.
theaviationist.comThe Air Force now expects an updated vision system for the KC-46 Pegasus tanker to be ready in early 2028 as part of a broader agreement with Boeing to improve the aircraft's readiness. According to an Air Force press release published Tuesday, the service and Boeing are pursuing a three-pronged plan to revamp the Pegasus fleet.
One element focuses on repurposing five earlier aircraft into dedicated test assets. This step will free up high-value spare parts for operational jets. A second part of the plan will implement a temporary performance-based logistics agreement for the tanker's aerial-refueling subsystem and other key components.
The Air Force identified those elements as the largest detractors of KC-46 availability. The service said these projects, combined with new investments proposed in its fiscal 2027 budget request, should increase near-term aircraft availability by six percent and raise that figure to 20 percent by 2030.
The Air Force did not respond by press time when asked for the Pegasus' current availability rate. Last year, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that the aircraft's mission capability was 61 percent in fiscal 2024, a decline from 65 percent in fiscal 2023.
For the third element of the strategy, the Air Force is accelerating retrofits of the jet's vision system to address longstanding deficiencies. By bundling the vision system's installation with depot maintenance, the service said the fleet's retrofit timeline would be reduced from 13 years to seven.
The Tuesday release also disclosed a schedule adjustment for the updated vision system. The Air Force had expected the system to be operational in summer 2027. The new target is early 2028. Officials had previously anticipated the new vision system would initially be ready by 2023.
The service has attributed more recent delays to the Federal Aviation Administration's certification process. Lawmakers have questioned the price increase associated with the upgrades.
