India and UAE sign up for Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport aircrafts

08 Jan 2010 8ak/PR: Boeing announced today that the U.S. government has received a Letter of Request from India’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Indian Air Force regarding the potential acquisition of ten C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifters. “Boeing is very pleased that the Indian government has expressed interest in acquiring the C-17 to modernise its airlift capabilities, and we look forward to working closely with them,” said Vivek Lall, vice president and India country head, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Earlier reports indicated that the ten C-17 were expected to cost around US$2.1 billion.

Simultaneously, Boeing inked a deal with UAE for the supply of six C-17. The deal makes UAE the second Middle-East nation after Qatar to buy the US manufactured C-17 aircraft. "The C-17 will give the UAE the ability to perform a variety of humanitarian and strategic lift operations around the world in support of both national and international missions," said Major General Staff Pilot Faris Mohamed Al Mazrouei.

As part of the agreement, UAE air force will take the delivery of four aircrafts in 2011 and two in 2012. Boeing will provide support for the UAE C-17s through the C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership, an agreement under which Boeing is responsible for all C-17 sustainment activities, including material management and depot maintenance support.

Tommy Dunehew, Boeing Global Mobility Systems vice president of Business Development said "In addition to being able to land and take off on short, unimproved runways, it has the highest mission capability rate of any airlifter." The C-17 can operate from runways as short as 3,500 feet and as narrow as 90 feet besides this, it is equipped with thrust reversers that can be used to back the aircraft and reverse direction on narrow taxiways using a three-point turn manoeuvre.

The heavy lift aircraft is capable of dropping 102 paratroopers and their equipments. Its maximum pay load capacity is 170,900 lb (77,500 kg), and its maximum Takeoff Weight is 585,000 lb (265,350 kg). The C-17 can cruise at a speed up to 0.76 Mach or 833 Km/hr.

Comments

[Jason Verdugo]

WIth the A400M program on the ropes, perhaps this will make for some additional orders for C-130J and C-17.

[daskro]

8AK -
What are your thoughts on this purchase in relation to India's usage and experience of Russian IL-76s?

[Akshay Kumar]

The C-17 is certainly better for the IAF. The C-17 has the ability to operate from runways as short as 3,500 feet and as narrow as 90 feet besides this, the C-17 has been equipped with thrust reversers that can be used to back the aircraft and reverse direction on narrow taxiways using a three-point turn manoeuvre. Since its three times bigger than the IL-76s, in case of a war, we will be able to mobilise more logistics and troops in lesser span of time and logistics and troop mobility remains the key to success in any form of war.

[dubai property]

It's a good news for UAE air force but I think that UAE must also rely on other countries as well like Russia and Pakistan for its defence needs.