KC-46s getting extra fuel tanks

KC-46 tankers being produced by Boeing for the U.S. Air Force will be fitted with body fuel tanks from Cobham Mission Equipment. The tanks will provide increased range and fuel offload capacity for the plane, which entered its engineering manufacturing development phase last month. "Cobham is delighted to be working with Boeing to support the KC-46 program," said Iain Gibson, vice president of Cobham Mission Equipment. "Cobham's experienced engineering and program team will design and deliver an innovative Body Fuel Tank design that achieves the technical and schedule demands of the program." Cobham Mission Equipment, which has headquarters in Iowa, is a unit of Britain's Cobham Plc and is a subcontractor for a number of components for the aircraft's refueling system, including wing-mounted aerial refueling pods. The value of the contract from Boeing wasn't given but Cobham said each tanker would be equipped with four body fuel tanks. The Air Force is initially expected to acquire 179 of the tankers, which will be in production through 2028. Copyright 2012 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.