The Air Force and Boeing [BA] completed the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker’s preliminary design review (PDR) Exit Criteria Review Friday, but not the PDR itself, according to a Air Force spokeswoman.

An Air Force spokeswoman told Defense Daily in an email the service and Boeing completed the Exit Criteria Review. Boeing Chief Executive Officer James McNerney said during a first-quarter earnings conference call Wednesday he expected the PDR done by “the end of the week.”

The critical design review (CDR), the next step in the acquisition phase, will take place during the third quarter of 2013. The KC-46 completed its Integrated Baseline Review in August (Defense Daily, April 26).

Boeing won the Air Force’s KC-X contract over rival European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) to replace the aging KC-135 tanker in February 2011. The initial $3.5 billion contract is for the first 18 planes. The total program of 179 planes has a potential value of $30 billion (Defense Daily, Nov. 7).