Air Force Eyes $3 Billion for Boeing Tanker Amid Dissatisfaction

The U.S. Air Force is seeking $3 billion to pay for 15 Boeing Co. KC-46A tankers in fiscal 2021, even as Gen. David Goldfein, the service’s chief of staff, warned new CEO Dave Calhoun that the Air Force is unhappy with his company’s inability to provide combat-ready aircraft after winning the $44 billion project nine years ago.

The Air Force’s request for the midair refueling tanker aircraft is $800 million higher than the $2.2 billion enacted this fiscal year, according to a 134-page Pentagon overview obtained by Bloomberg News.

Boeing’s KC-46 aerial refueling tanker.

U.S. Air Force photo by Christopher Okula

The Air Force has taken delivery of 30 tankers ...