Boeing has released the list of its major suppliers for the KC-46A tankers that it will supply to the Air Force to replace the service’s oldest KC-135s. “We’re fortunate to have a strong defense industry team of domain experts,” said Maureen Dougherty, Boeing’s KC-46 program manager. The KC-46A is based on Boeing’s 767-200ER commercial aircraft; two Pratt & Whitney PW4062 engines will power it. Among the major suppliers and the components they will provide are: Cobham: wing aerial refueling pods; DRS Laurel Technologies: Aerial Refueling Operator Station; Goodrich: landing gear; Honeywell: auxiliary power unit; Northrop Grumman: Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system; Raytheon: digital radar warning receiver; Rockwell Collins: integrated display system; Spirit: forward fuselage section; Triumph Group: aft body section; and Woodward: aerial refueling boom elements. Boeing will assemble the KC-46 at its existing facilities in Everett, Wash., and Wichita, Kan. (For more on the KC-46A, read The Tanker Answer from Air Force Magazine’s June issue.)
Skunk Works Uncrewed NGAS Concept Gets New Attention
Nov. 9, 2024
An artist’s rendering of a Lockheed Martin Skunk Works concept for a potential stealthy and autonomous Next-Generation Air-refueling System (NGAS) aircraft is getting new attention after a repeat display at the recent Airlift/Tanker Association meeting.