Boeing announced today that the US government has received a Letter of Request from India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Indian Air Force regarding the potential acquisition of 10 C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifters.
“Boeing is very pleased that the Indian government has expressed interest in acquiring the C-17 to modernize 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. “We believe the C-17 can fulfill India’s needs for military and humanitarian airlift to help it meet its growing domestic and international responsibilities.”
The C-17 conducted demonstration flights in February at Aero India 2009 in Bangalore, where members of the MoD and Indian Air Force had the opportunity to see the aircraft’s capabilities in action. The Indian Air Force wants to replace and augment its fleet of Russian-made An-32 and Il-76 airlifters.
There are currently 212 C-17s in service worldwide, including 19 with international customers. The U.S. Air Force, including active Guard and Reserve units, has 193. Other customers include the United Kingdom (which recently announced a contract for a 7th airlifter), Qatar, the Canadian Forces, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence announced Jan. 6 that the UAE has signed a contract for the acquisition of six Boeing C-17s.
Excerpted Boeing Press Release
Photo by Shiv Aroor / Agra AFS
That is 8 months of full rate production. That brings Boeing to 2 1/2 years backlog of c-17s.
Good move , but India also needs more offensive weapons in fastrack .
Waste of money it is. C17 is expensive to buy and operate. IAF has IL-76. They are safe and fulfill most mission requirements. Over 300 remain in service. Why not buy upgraded IL-76MF which cost 60-70million compared to 200 million each for C17. Everyone should read this blog before getting too excited about C17s.
http://boeingc17.blogspot.com/
How can a press release be a flash…it must've gone to others also, so whats exclusive in it?
The C-17 Globemaster III can carry a heavier payload than the Il-76 Candid.