July 27 (UPI) -- A joint team composed of teams from Boeing, the Air Force, and the Naval Air Systems command have completed a series of tests for the KC-46 tanker aircraft's resistance to electromagnetic radiation.
The testing took place at Naval Air Station Patuxent, Md. electromagnetic pulse laboratory and the Benefield Anechoic Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
"The KC-46 tanker is protected by various hardening and shielding technologies designed into the aircraft to negate any effects on the aircraft," Boeing KC-46 vice president and program manager Mike Gibbons said in a press release.
"This successful effort retires one of the key risks on the program."
Strong electromagnetic radiation can be dangerous for unshielded electrical systems, causing damage and power failures. It can be generated by radars, powerful radio towers, and, in its most extreme form, nuclear detonations.
Electronics that may be exposed, such as those mounted on military equipment, are encased in conductive shielding known as Faraday cages or shields that can block the radiation.
The KC-46 Pegasus is a wide-bodied aerial refueling tanker jet being developed for the U.S. Air Force. It is capable of refueling all U.S. and allied military aircraft capable of mid-air refueling.
The aircraft has met performance and cost requirements but problems with development and the necessary fixes have led to delays in the KC-46's delivery to the Air Force.
The first 18 planes are expected to be delivered by next February and their wingtip aerial refueling pods by October 2018, 14 months later than originally planned.