Kupita patsogolo kwa pulogalamu ya KC-46A
Yoyamba kutumiza KC-46A Pegasus ipita ku Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Panopa galimotoyo ikuyesedwa koyamba.
Pa November 3, Dipatimenti ya Chitetezo ku United States inalengeza kuti ntchito yokhudzana ndi pulogalamu ya KC-Y idzayamba mwalamulo chaka chino, i.e. yachiwiri mwa magawo atatu omwe anakonzedwa kuti alowe m'malo mwa zombo zapamadzi zoyendetsedwa ndi US Air Force. Chochititsa chidwi n'chakuti mawuwa adanenedwa pamene Boeing 40 adapereka ndege ya KC-46A Pegasus kwa wogwiritsa ntchito, i.e. makina osankhidwa ngati gawo la gawo loyamba la pulogalamu ya ku America kuti apange akasinja a ndege, otchedwa KC-X.
Zolengeza za Novembala ndi gawo la projekiti yayikulu yomwe ikuyenera kudziwa zosowa zenizeni ndikusankha nthawi yoyenera kupanga zisankho zoyenera, zomwe zikuyenera kubweretsa kutumizidwa kwa KC-Y kuyambira cha 2028. Uwu uyenera kukhala mtundu wa mlatho pakati pa zomwe zilipo komanso mawonekedwe atsopano omwe ayenera kukhala chifukwa cha pulogalamu ya COP-S. Kuphatikiza pakusintha gulu lina la KC-135 Stratotankers, ndizotheka kuti kasitomala angafune kutenga mwayi wogula wolowa m'malo kwa ochepa (58 mu Julayi 2020), koma ofunikira kwambiri McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender ndege, zomwe zayamba kale kuthetsedwa. Dipatimenti ya Chitetezo ku United States imakhalanso yolemera kwambiri mu pulogalamu ya KC-X, yomwe, ngakhale kuti imagwiritsidwa ntchito pazinthu zambiri zomwe zimachepetsa chiopsezo - mwachitsanzo, posankha ndege ya Boeing 767-200ER ngati maziko - ikukumanabe ndi kuchedwa komanso Mavuto aukadaulo.
Imodzi mwa mavuto ofunikira nthawi zonse imakhalabe khalidwe losasangalatsa la RVS (Remote Vision System), yomwe ndi chinthu chofunika kwambiri pazitsulo zowonongeka zowonongeka.
Ngakhale pofika kumapeto kwa Okutobala chaka chino, wopanga adapereka KS-40A zomwe zatchulidwa pamwambapa (kuphatikiza yoyamba ya 46th yopanga), yomwe idapita kumagulu onse ophunzitsira ndi magwiridwe antchito, pulogalamuyi ikubweretsabe zotayika kwa Boeing. Malinga ndi zilengezo zomwe zidatumizidwa komanso ndondomeko yomwe idaphatikizidwa mu mgwirizano woyambira wa 4, yomaliza mwa 2011 KS-179A yomwe idakonzedwa kuti igulidwe idayenera kuperekedwa mu 46. Komabe, ziyenera kudziwidwa kuti kumapeto kwa Okutobala 2027 panali 2020 mwa iwo omwe adalamulidwa mwalamulo ndi zomangamanga pansi pa mgwirizano ndi US department of Defense. Chochititsa chidwi n'chakuti, ndalama zomwe Boeing anayenera kuyikapo m'zaka zaposachedwa pochotsa zolakwika zomwe zapezeka, zolakwika ndi kubwezeretsanso ndege zomwe zamangidwa kale ndizofanana ndi dongosolo la gulu loyamba la ndege, i.e. adathera mpaka pano. Chaka chino chokha, pakati pa zovuta zaukadaulo zomwe zidadziwika zinali nkhani yakuchucha mizere yamafuta (ndege za 72 zaperekedwa kale, zomwe zimafunikira kukonzanso mwachangu, ndikuzigwira ntchito ndi June). Chaka chatha, mbedza zonyamula katundu zomwe sizikuyenda bwino zidayimitsa maulendo apandege, vuto lomwe lidathetsedwa pofika Disembala 4,7. Pulogalamu ya KC-4,9A Pegasus idapanganso $16 miliyoni, malinga ndi kotala lachitatu la '2019 ndalama. kutayika, makamaka chifukwa cha magwiridwe antchito, monga kuchepetsedwa kwa liwiro la ntchito yolumikizira pamzere wa Model 2020 (komwe KC-46 ikumangidwanso asanatembenuzidwe ndikuyika zida za mishoni) chifukwa cha COVID- 67 mliri. Uku ndikupitilira kwa zotayika kuyambira gawo lachiwiri, pomwe $ 767 miliyoni adayikidwa pazifukwa zomwezo. Malingana ndi oimira kampani, pali mwayi woti mu 46 pulogalamuyi idzayamba kupanga phindu. Komabe, chiyembekezochi chikhoza kugwedezeka ngati mliri ku United States ukukulirakulira. Ngakhale kuti pali zovuta, ntchitoyi ikuchitika, ndipo mu September 19th serial unit inatulutsidwa m'sitolo ya msonkhano ku Everett, Washington, ndikuyika zida ndi kuyesa kotsatira. Tili ku Boeing Field pafupi ndi Seattle, gawo la KC-155A limatha kuwoneka likudikirira kumalizidwa kuti liperekedwe kwa kasitomala.
Pakadali pano, vuto lalikulu komanso lomwe silinathetsedwe ndi nkhani ya chiphaso cha akasinja osinthira mafuta a WARP (Wing Air Refueling Pod), omwe akuyenera kugwiritsidwa ntchito powonjezera mafuta, kuphatikiza magalimoto apanyanja apamadzi ndi ogwirizana nawo. Ntchitoyi iyenera kumalizidwa kumapeto kwa chaka. Chifukwa chake, KS-46A ikadali
Gwiritsani ntchito gawo la ventral lokha ndi payipi yosinthira mafuta, yomwe imakupatsani mwayi wowonjezera galimoto imodzi yokha. Chifukwa chachiwiri cha kuchedwa ndi RVS (Remote Vision System) yojambula molimba, yomwe imakhala ndi makamera omwe amaikidwa mu gawo la mchira wa KC-46A m'malo mwa woyendetsa payipi ya refueling mu KC-135. Zolakwika zomwe zimaperekedwa kwa wogwiritsa ntchito zimatha kuyambitsa ngozi panthawi yamafuta - amasunthidwa kutsogolo kwa fuselage, ndikuwunika momwe zinthu ziliri paoyang'anira chifukwa cha makamera ndi masensa ena. Pachifukwa ichi, Boeing akugwira ntchito pa kusinthidwa kwa dongosolo - mayeso a RVS 1.5.
idayamba mu June chaka chino, ndipo ngati kuyesedwa kwabwino ndi US Air Force ndipo palibe zotsutsa zochokera ku Congress, kukhazikitsa kwake pa ndege kungayambike theka lachiwiri la 2021. kusintha kwa pulogalamu yowongolera ndi kukonza pang'ono kokhudzana ndi zida zomwe zimagwiritsidwa ntchito. Chochititsa chidwi, kusinthidwa ndi kwakanthawi, chifukwa theka lachiwiri la 2023 akukonzekera kuyambitsa RCS mtundu 2.0. Izi, zingayambitsenso kuti gawo la KS-46A liyenera kuchotsedwa ntchito pakanthawi kochepa mpaka gawo lalikulu la zida zawo litasinthidwa kawiri. Nkhaniyi ndi yofunikanso pazifukwa zogwirira ntchito, pakali pano KS-46A yapatsidwa ntchito zothandizira (monga kupereka maulendo apandege omenyana pakati pa mabasiketi), koma salowa m'malo mwa zomwe zimatchedwa KS-135. mzere woyamba wa ntchito (chitsanzo chabwino kwambiri ndi ntchito October wa asilikali apadera, amene analandanso nzika American m'ndende ku Nigeria, KS-135 anagwiritsidwa ntchito monga thandizo kwa gawo ndege).
