Air Force, Boeing Hoping To Have KC-46 RVS Fix By End Of March Written 24 February 2020

Air Force Times reported that the Air Force “is hoping to have a fix in hand for the KC-46 tanker’s most critical technical problem by the end of March, the service’s top general told Defense News in an exclusive interview.” The Air Force and [The Boeing Company] are looking “to sign off next month on a finalized design for the KC-46’s Remote Vision System (RVS) – a series of cameras and sensors that allow its users to steer the aircraft’s boom into a plane for aerial refueling.” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein said in the February 18 interview, “We’re looking for a serious fix on the table by the end of March, and we’re going to be flying that fix and starting to test it by the end of this summer.” The Rockwell Collins-manufactured RVS has suffered from the fact that “under certain lighting conditions, the imagery is difficult to see and sometimes distorted, making it difficult for operators to safely move the boom without scraping the aircraft receiving fuel.” Tensions between Boeing and the Air Force regarding the project have recently increased regarding the issue. Boeing said in a statement to Defense News, “We’re engaged in productive discussions with the Air Force about enhancements for the KC-46 Remote Vision System. We expect those discussions will establish a collaborative plan through which we can improve the aircraft’s already robust capabilities.”
Full Story (Air Force Times)