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Air Force

KC-46A Boom Issues Not Confined to Refueling A-10s

Frank Wolfe

Monday, August 25th, 2025

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KC-46A Boom Issues Not Confined to Refueling A-10s

Personnel with the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 64th Air Refueling Squadron tow a KC-46 Pegasus aircraft on the flight line during the U.S. Air Force’s 2025 Department-Level Exercise series at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam on July 24 (U.S. Air Force Photo)

While the U.S. Air Force has cited the stiff aerial refueling boom (ARB) of the Boeing [BA] KC-46A Pegasus tanker as an issue for the slower A-10 close air support aircraft, the stiffness has also been a problem for pilots of faster fighters, such as the Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle and Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-22 Raptor, and KC-46A boom operators have had problems with remote operation of the boom. Such conclusions come from three reports Air Mobility Command (AMC) at…

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