Mattis Warns He Won’t Accept Any Flawed Boeing Tankers
- New KC-46 is scraping the aircraft it refuels in midair
- Weapons buyer gave Mattis assurances of Air Force resolve
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U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has bluntly warned Pentagon weapons buyers that he won’t let the Air Force accept new refueling tankers from Boeing Co. if they’re flawed or don’t meet all contract obligations, according to a person familiar with the issue.
The plain-spoken defense chief sent a note to staff last month that he’s “unwilling (totally)” to accept deficient planes in the $44.5 billion KC-46 tanker program, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing internal deliberations. Mattis also underscored in his note that Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, is prohibited from involvement in the issue, according to the person.