The US Air Force will be unable to receive upgraded F-15EX fighters, Air Force One presidential jet and K-46A air tankers on time

We have already written that achieving initial operational capability for the $96 billion Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile programme has been delayed by about a year. But the problems for the US Air Force do not end there.

Here's What We Know

The US Air Force will not be able to get the Air Force One presidential jet, which is being built under the VC-25B programme, on time. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the project is already more than 2 years behind schedule.

The GAO also claims that deliveries of the upgraded F-15EX Eagle II batch 1B fighters have been delayed by six months. The reason is the production problems Boeing is facing.

The development of air tankers is not going smoothly either. Recently it was revealed that the cost of the KC-46A programme has exceeded $7 billion. Here the key problem concerns the refuelling boom and the Remote Vision System.

Tests of the new system are scheduled for December 2025. Boeing already needs $128m rather than $113m to fix the stiffness of the refuelling boom. The work will continue until 2025.

Source: Breaking Defense