Boeing has sued two of its suppliers for allegedly mislabeling chemicals that damaged the refueling systems in a KC-46A, which delayed its first flight in 2015 by a month. The lawsuit, filed Friday in a California federal court, calls for at least $10 million in damages from Able Aerospace Adhesives and AflaKleen Chemical Labs, The Seattle Times reported. Boeing claims that the suppliers provided them with a chemical labeled that it met an Air Force requirement, though it did not, the paper reported. “When the liquid was introduced into the aircraft’s fuel boom and fuel system, the l?iquid damaged the components it touched,” the lawsuit states. “The fuel boom and fuel system were damaged, and a number of the components comprising the fuel boom and fuel system had to be replaced.” Boeing confirmed it had filed the lawsuit, but said it could not comment further on a pending legal matter. Able Aerospace Adhesives and AflaKleen Chemical Labs also declined to comment.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.