The U.S. Air Force is encountering problems with its fleet of Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling and transport aircraft.
According to The War Zone, auxiliary power units (APUs) on some of the tankers are not functioning properly. The APU is a small engine that helps start up the aircraft’s main engines and provides electricity for other systems, reducing the KC-46’s reliance on ground support equipment and crews. Without it, though, the tanker becomes more cumbersome and costly to operate.
The Air Mobility Command (AMC) confirmed the problem to The War Zone and said crews have been ordered to curtail use of the APU until a fix can be made.
“AMC has seen some premature failures of APUs we’re working with the OEM [original equipment manufacturer]to resolve,” an AMC spokesperson told the outlet. “This memo ensures our maintenance team uses ground support equipment whenever possible to reduce APU wear and tear, giving us the best availability while we work through repairs.”
It is not clear when the problem with the APU was first identified or how long the repairs may take.
The KC-46 was one of numerous U.S. military support aircraft moved into Europe and the Middle East in June as tensions between Israel and Iran exploded into a two-week-long air war. The tankers were used to continuously refuel the B-2 stealth bombers that attacked Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22 as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.
The KC-46 is based on Boeing’s 767 commercial airliner. It was selected by the Air Force in 2011 to replace the older KC-135 Stratotanker, also built by Boeing.
The Air Force has ordered almost 200 KC-46 tankers. The aircraft will also be flown by the U.S. Navy, the Marine Corps, and U.S. allies.
