Boeing is just one step away from shutting down the KC-46A aerial refueling tanker assembly line, an internal memo has revealed.



Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Okula [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons



The Feb. 21 memo said new KC-46As being delivered to the U.S. Air Force has been found with loose tools and bits of debris inside the aircraft.

“This is a big deal,” the memo emphasized. The Military Delivery Center (MDC) has issued a state 3 level of alert. One step away from total shut down of the assembly line.

The situation force Boeing to issue “a temporary pause” to the KC-46A flight operations for a week, it only resumed on Feb. 28.

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