The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has received the first of four Boeing KC-46A Air Refueling (AAR) tanker transport aircraft on order, making it the first international operator of its type.
After taking off from the Boeing plant in Seattle, Washington, the plane flew across the Pacific and arrived at Miho Air Force Base in Japan on the morning of October 29, local time.
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force formed a new KC-46A unit at the U.S. Air Force Base, the 405th Air Refueling Squadron. 405day It will be used as the first KC-46A unit in Japan in December 2020. The service’s current tanker fleet—including four KC-767 and two KC-130H tankers—is operated by the 404th Air Refueling Squadron at Komaki Air Force Base.
“Japan’s purchase of the KC-46A tanker marks an important milestone in the plan and U.S.-Japan cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, and it plays a key role in the security alliance between the two countries,” said Will Schaffer, President of Boeing Japan. He also pointed out that the aircraft can also support the country’s humanitarian and disaster relief efforts by virtue of its ability to carry cargo and passengers. The company earlier stated that although the aircraft was manufactured in the United States, Boeing’s Japanese partners produced 16% of its fuselage structure.
The first batch of JASDF personnel began to receive training on the new model in July. According to the United States Air Force (USAF), the first batch included 12 JASDF cadets — 6 pilots and 6 boom operators — and received KC at Altus Air Force Base (AFB) in Oklahoma -46A guidance.
“In this unstable international security environment, it is important for us to be united as allies with strong and trusting relationships,” Squadron Commander Lieutenant Colonel Tetsuji Kamiguchi said earlier.
Delays in the broader KC-46A program—mainly focused on defects in its remote vision system (RVS), but also included foreign body debris (DOF) found in aircraft delivered to the U.S. Air Force and concerns about aircraft cargo safety mechanisms ——Forcing Japan to deliver from the first delivery in 2020 to later in 2021.
Xiao Wu
