The Israeli Defense Force has said it needs to be open to a tanker replacement other than Boeing's KC-46A following recent delays and cost increases with the program, according to a report by Flight Global.
Israel Aerospace Industries [IAI] is converting a Boeing 767 that Israel said it would consider as a future refueling tanker for its military.
Israel wants to replace its tanker fleet built from converted Boeing 707s. Flight Gobal reported that Israel had only considered the KC-46A that the U.S. is buying to replace its tanker fleet.
This would be the latest blow to a tanker program after the U.S. announced that Boeing may have to delay the start of building production KC-46As by eight months. The company also announced it would have to include more than $500 million in additional costs for the program.
The U.S. plans to buy 179 KC-46A tankers from Boeing for about $50 billion. Boeing had planned to deliver 18 tankers to the Air Force by August 2017.
