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from a technical perspective alone, the kc-46a is not the best equipment that japan can buy from the international arms market. however, due to the special relationship of the us-japan alliance and to "extend the life" of boeing's related projects, the cost-effectiveness of the equipment is obviously not something japan needs to consider.

according to foreign media reports, the u.s. defense security cooperation agency recently announced that the u.s. state department approved the sale of nine boeing kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft to japan, with an estimated transaction value of $4.1 billion. analysts said that after the kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft enter service, japan's aerial refueling and strategic delivery capabilities will be further enhanced, and will also pose a threat to regional security and stability.

it is reported that as early as 2016, japan signed a contract with the united states to purchase two kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft, becoming the first foreign customer of this type of aircraft. in 2020 and 2022, japan ordered two more aircraft of this type respectively. so far, japan has received four aircraft of this type, all of which are in service with the 405th squadron of the japan air self-defense force. relevant sources said that the kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft is a large aerial refueling aircraft developed by boeing of the united states. japan chose this type of aircraft for several reasons.

possess strong long-distance transportation capability.on the one hand, the refueling system is powerful. the kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft has a fuel capacity of up to 96 tons and a maximum range of 12,200 kilometers. in july this year, the us air force announced that the kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft successfully completed 45 hours of continuous flight. at the same time, in addition to the hard-rod refueling system installed on the belly of the aircraft, there are also hose refueling equipment under the wings on both sides, which can provide fuel supply for multiple fighters at a time. on the other hand, in addition to aerial refueling, the kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft also has the ability to perform multiple tasks, including cargo transportation and aeromedical evacuation, and can carry 114 fully armed soldiers or 29 tons of supplies.

equipped with advanced defense systems.to improve the survival rate of crew members during combat, the kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft is equipped with cockpit protection armor and a variety of defense countermeasure systems, including infrared countermeasure systems, an/alr-69 digital radar warning devices and digital anti-interference global positioning systems. in addition, the kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft is also equipped with a fully digital cockpit, using boeing 787 dreamliner electronic display screens, making flight control more intuitive and accurate, and effectively improving the reaction speed during combat.

it is in line with japan's military expansion goals.on september 10, the japan maritime self-defense force announced that the helicopter destroyer "kaga" will go to california, usa, to conduct short-distance takeoff and vertical landing tests on the f-35b fighter under the guidance of the us navy. it is reported that the f-35b fighter needs to be refueled with a hose, and the kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft can just meet its needs. analysts said that combined with recent related actions, japan may be training a fighter squadron that can conduct long-distance operations, which has broken the principle of "exclusive defense."

in addition, the us air force has currently ordered a large number of kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft. considering that nearly 400 kc-135 aerial refueling aircraft will be replaced in the future, the order of kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft may continue to increase. japan's purchase of the same type of refueling aircraft as the us military can not only be used by the air self-defense force, but also by us troops stationed in japan or us fighters performing long-distance overseas missions, thus strengthening the joint combat capabilities of japan and the united states.

it should be pointed out that boeing has been plagued by scandals in recent years, and japan may not be able to smoothly receive this batch of kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft. in 2019, the kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft had a fuel leak during flight, so the us air force ordered the grounding of all kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft. in subsequent inspections, the us air force found problems with the toilet design and fuselage structural strength of the tanker. in march of this year, the us air force stated that due to an unsolvable fault in the remote vision system of the kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft, it decided to postpone the delivery of the remaining kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft for 2 years.

in addition, boeing employees went on strike in mid-september, with about 33,000 people participating. the strike led to the suspension of production of the kc-46a aerial refueling aircraft.