actively pursuing opportunities in Canada,
Switzerland, Finland, Germany and India
and sees potential for additional sales
of as many as 350 aircraft. He con rmed
that the o er to Finland includes EA-18G
Growlers, but would not comment on the
proposed mix of Super Hornets. Germany
too could receive Growlers if it went down
the Boeing route to replace its Tornados,
however, unlike Finland, this has not yet
been cleared by the US government.Pegasus comes to Europe
The arrival of the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus
got pulses racing as it touched down at
Le Bourget on June 15 in rather dramatic
style, with a very tight turn onto its nal
approach. The rst international foray into
Europe for the troubled tanker coincided
with news that the United Arab Emirates
had reportedly issued a formal Letter of
Request (LoR) regarding the purchase
of three KC-46As. The move comes as
a surprise because the UAE Air Force
already operates three Airbus A330
Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTT).
Israel’s defense ministry also issued a
formal LoR to the US associated with
the purchase of two KC-46As, on May- Ultimately the Israeli Air Force hopes
to acquire as many as eight Pegasus
tankers to replace its elderly Boeing 707s
and may ask the USAF to reallocate two
KC-46As from the production line so that
deliveries can begin in 2022.
The USAF continues to face problems
with foreign object debris being found
inside its new tankers as they are
delivered. The USAF is nding items such
as loose nuts, tools and rubbish inside
its new aircraft when they are inspected,
according to assistant secretary of the
air force for acquisition, technology and
logistics Will Roper. Boeing had intended
to deliver 36 KC-46s to the USAF this
year, but only 11 have been accepted
so far. Despite additional inspectionsslowing down the process, Boeing says
it can still make up the numbers by
year-end.Below: Boeing
KC-46A Pegasus
serial 15-46009 in
the static display
in Paris complete
with 22nd/931st
Air Refueling Wing
engine covers.
Jamie Hunter
Badge inset:
Crewmembers
with the KC-46
wore 344th
Air Refueling
Squadron
patches, one of
the McConnell
units under the
22nd ARW.
Jamie Hunter
Right: The Airbus
Helicopters
H160M is a new
utility platform
in accelerated
development for
the French Air
Force, Army and
Navy, intended
to replace fi ve
different types,
including the
Gazelle and
Dauphin.
Jamie Hunterhttp://www.combataircraft.net // August 2019 55
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