Boom Times Ahead For KC-46 After Upgraded RVS 2.0 First Flight

DUBAI—A long-awaited upgrade for the system that operates the Boeing KC-46 refueling boom completed a first flight on Nov. 15 in Seattle, Washington, Boeing Defense and Space CEO Steve Parker told reporters on the eve of the Dubai Airshow here.

 

The Remote Vision System 2.0—which introduces 3D, full color, 4K resolution and panorama cameras—now enters a months-long flight-testing phase to gain U.S. Air Force approval and clear one of the last remaining technical shortcomings in the 767-2C-based air refueler.

 

“That’s such a huge milestone for the program,” Parker said. “And so we'll go into testing now in 2026 and do contact testing eventually here as well.”

 

The Air Force originally targeted a late-2023 fielding date for the RVS 2.0 upgrade but the sensor upgrade has since faced repeated delays in development and with gaining certification plan approval from the FAA.

 

The latest delay for RVS 2.0, which was confirmed in May, extended the Air Force’s fielding estimate seven more months to November 2026.

 

Since the 1950s, Air Force tanker crews guided the refueling boom into receiver aircraft visually from a small compartment in the belly of the aircraft. The KC-46 introduced the original RVS, which relocated the boom operator to the main deck behind the cockpit. Instead of looking out the window, the operator uses panoramic displays for visual reference.

 

But the Air Force disliked Boeing’s original RVS design so much that the issue became one of the main reasons driving a two-year impasse that froze KC-46 deliveries. The dispute was settled by an agreement in 2019 that committed Boeing to fielding the RVS 2.0 upgrade.