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Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal N A
K Browne told India Strategic in
an interview that Boeing would deliver all the
already ordered 10 aircraft between 2013 and 2014,
and that once the IAF was satisfied with the performance
of the aircraft after induction, six more would
be ordered. By 2015, the induction of all the
16 aircraft should be complete.
“The C-17 Globemaster III aircraft are
expected to be inducted between 2013 and 2015,”
he said.
Air Chief Marshal Browne said that IAF had actually
planned to acquire 20 aircraft but right now,
it had the approval for 16 aircraft from the Ministry
of Defence, 10 in the first lot and then six more
after the first few of the aircraft are received.
The aircraft had done well during the rigorous
tests for short takeoffs and night operations,
and IAF is preparing a number of its airbases,
including in the mountainous north and north-eastern
Himalayan region, for C 17 and Lockheed Martin’s
C 130J Super Hercules aircraft. The latter have
in fact already begun relief operations in the
north-eastern region of the country following
the recent earthquake.
Both the aircraft can be refueled midair and
would be networked with IAF’s air and ground
assets.
IAF hopes to sign the contract for the additional
six within 2013. The contract for the first lot
of 10 aircraft was signed in June this year in
accordance with the US Government’s Foreign
Sales Programme (FMS) under a Government-to-Government
deal for US$ 4.1 billion, which included a training
and support package as well as 30 per cent offset
investment back into India in defence programmes.
Notably, Boeing officials had told a group of
Indian journalists visiting the C 17 manufacturing
facility at Long Beach in California last year
that the company could accelerate the production
and deliver the required number before scheduled
time.
Boeing has nearly completed the US Air Force
requirement, and its C 17 production line is due
to close after the last few orders are delivered
over the next three or four years. The production
capacity has already been decreased by one third
from 15 to 10 aircraft a year so that the factory
can continue a little longer for a few more possible
international orders.
"We do expect the lower production rate
combined with strong international interest to
extend the C-17 line for many years," a Boeing
spokesperson said.
Nearly 235 of these long-range heavy lift aircraft
have been delivered so far, and even with a small
number of 10 or 16 airlifters, India will be its
second biggest customer. The United Arab Emirates
(UAE), with six aircraft, is the third largest.
USAF has a total order for 223 aircraft, and
the C 17 has been extensively used to support
combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq as well
as humanitarian missions across the world including
in Pakistan.
It may be noted that even the Lockheed Martin
is delivering all the six C 130J aircraft before
scheduled delivery time, and this is the first
time ever that IAF has received its aircraft from
a foreign supplier without delay, on or before
time, and without any additional demands on cost.
IAF received the first C 130J Super Hercules
in February 2011 and the last and sixth is due
here November 11.
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