The KC-46 tanker’s refueling boom has gotten stuck in at least three fighter jets during missions, resulting in three accidents and damage measured in the tens of millions of dollars, the Air Force has found.

Two of the accidents took place in 2022 and another last year, according to investigation reports released on Aug. 25.

The tanker’s “stiff boom” is just one of the program’s category 1 deficiencies . The boom’s stiffness requires more force to move it in and out of position. Boeing is working on a redesign to the boom’s actuator system and the Air Force has previously said that a fix will be ready in fiscal 2026, but the service did not confirm a timeline in time for publication.

“Challenges with adding a new aircraft to the fleet are not uncommon but we do not take these incid

See Full Page