Posted on 08/10/2015 4:36:56 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The Israeli Defense Force has said it needs to be open to a tanker replacement other than Boeing’s KC-46A following recent delays and cost increases with the program, according to a report by Flight Global.
Israel Aerospace Industries [IAI] is converting a Boeing 767 that Israel said it would consider as a future refueling tanker for its military.
Israel wants to replace its tanker fleet built from converted Boeing 707s. Flight Gobal reported that Israel had only considered the KC-46A that the U.S. is buying to replace its tanker fleet.
This would be the latest blow to a tanker program after the U.S. announced that Boeing may have to delay the start of building production KC-46As by eight months. The company also announced it would have to include more than $500 million in additional costs for the program.
The U.S. plans to buy 179 KC-46A tankers from Boeing for about $50 billion. Boeing had planned to deliver 18 tankers to the Air Force by August 2017.
“The U.S. plans to buy 179 KC-46A tankers from Boeing for about $50 billion.”
Do we need that many tankers?
How many cruise missiles can you get for $50 billion?
Considering that the average USAF KC-135 is round about 50 years old, 179 may well be just about par!
This is the program that was originally awarded to Airbus, but thanks to John McCain, was cancelled and recompeted to insure that Boeing got it?
At least that's the plan today.
Ironically, Israeli Aerospace Industries has already converted Boeing 767s into tankers for Brazil. So theoretically Israel could build their own tankers.
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