WASHINGTON — After a two-year delay, the U.S. Air Force has received its first two Boeing aerial refueling tankers.
The two KC-46 tankers, derived from Boeing's commercial 767 airframe, touched down at McConnell Air Force base in Kansas on Friday after departing the company's Everett, Washington, facility.
The delivery marks a major milestone for the program, which is two years behind schedule and more than $3 billion over budget.
Boeing, the world's largest aircraft manufacturer, is expected to deliver about three tankers a month to the Air Force, which would be approximately 36 aircraft by the end of the year. Boeing plans to build a total of 179 refueling aircraft to replace the Air Force's aging tanker fleet.