Air 
Force and Boeing officials completed the preliminary design review for the KC-46A tanker, announced the company. The review demonstrated that the KC-46A’s preliminary design “meets system requirements and establishes the basis for proceeding with detailed design,” states the company’s May 8 release. “Working closely with our Air Force teammates, we’ve made tremendous progress in the past 14 months and have the foundation in place to enter the detailed design phase,” said Maureen Dougherty, Boeing KC-46 program manager. The company said it remains on plan to deliver 18 combat-ready KC-46As by 2017. “I’m happy with Boeing’s performance. They’re maintaining a very tight focus on meeting commitments and staying on or ahead of schedule,” said Maj. Gen. Chris Bogdan, KC-46 program executive officer. The PDR took place from March 21 to April 27. The next major tanker milestone is the critical design review slated for summer 2013, said Boeing. It will determine if the aircraft’s design is mature and ready to proceed to manufacturing. The KC-46A will replace the Air Force’s oldest KC-135 tankers.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.