Boeing KC-46A Tanker number 2 has completed its first flight.\u00a0The\u00a0second tanker aircraft is being added to the first one for completion of\u00a0the flight testing program. The\u00a0Boeing KC-46A tanker aircraft are currently being used to test mission system avionics and exterior lighting. This will be followed by the certification of the\u00a0aerial refueling\u00a0system, which will be the aircrafts main function when placed into service.\u00a0Boeing will also conduct post flight inspections and calibrations during the test\u00a0flight program. The requirements of the test program is that\u00a0the KC-46 tankers can successfully refuel 18 aircraft in flight.<\/p>\n
Boeing was awarded the government\u00a0contract for the next generation tanker aircraft in 2011. This award came following\u00a0a giant quagmire that began\u00a0in 2002, when the US decided to lease 100 KC-767 tankers from Boeing.\u00a0The initial deal was politically criticized\u00a0as wasteful, so\u00a0the Air Force struck a new deal in November of 2003\u00a0to\u00a0purchase 80 KC-767 aircraft and lease \u00a0an additional 20.\u00a0The Pentagon then decided to\u00a0freeze the new deal due to\u00a0allegations of corruption.\u00a0This lead to the Department of Defense\u00a0canceling the\u00a0contract in January of 2006. The Air Force then launched a\u00a0new tanker competition in January of 2007. Boeing was in competition for the new contract against Europe’s EADS, which partnered\u00a0with US based Northrop Grumman. The Northrop-EADS team was declared\u00a0the winner of the new competition\u00a0with its tanker based of of the Airbus A330 model aircraft. Boeing then filed a\u00a0protest of the contract award, citing flaws in the tanker specifications and the\u00a0bidding process.\u00a0The Government Accountability Office upheld the Boeing protest, recommending that the contract be clarified and re-bid. The new bidding process began in September of 2009, and once again it was Boeing pitted against EADS, minus partner\u00a0Northrop Grumman.\u00a0Boeing then finally\u00a0won the Air Force aerial refueling tanker\u00a0competition\u00a0in March of 2013. The tanker was specified by the US Air Force as the\u00a0Boeing KC-46A. You can view a great video of the Boeing KC-46 tankers first aerial refueling mission by clicking the link below.<\/p>\n
![\"boeing](\"https:\/\/planesintheair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/boeing-kc-300x119.jpg\")
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