|
The aircraft has successfully been test flown,
and is due for delivery to its designated squadron
by the end of this month, a company spokesman
told India Strategic.
The aircraft was shown to a visiting Indian media
team recently at its Long Beach manufacturing
facility as part of Boeing’s efforts to showcase
the capability of this aircraft to various countries
for its possible sale.
The latest version of the aircraft is designated
Block 18, and that is what is on offer to India.
The C 17 programme will end in about five years,
just after Boeing delivers the last and 223rd
of this highly successful strategic lift aircraft
to the USAF, and some others to international
customers. The production is being slowed to keep
the manufacturing facility going for some time
longer, just in case there are some more orders,
particularly in view of the aircraft’s utility
in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
role.
 According
to Tommy Dunehew, Vice President, Boeing’s
Global Mobility Systems, Boeing is committed along
with the US Government – wherever the sale
is through the government to government Foreign
Military Sales (FMS) programme – to support
and service the aircraft for their lifetime, say
another 30 to 40 years, and spares etc will be
produced amply for a global supply chain.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to buy
ten C 17 Globemaster III aircraft to replace and
augment its fleet of 17 Soviet vintage IL 76 aircraft,
which should retire in about 10 to 15 years. IAF
had acquired the first lot of its six IL 76 aircraft
in April 1985. The IL 76 is now out of production,
although Russia has been able to sell some of
its second-hand machines after refurbishing them
to some countries.
India with its order for 10 C 17s, is the largest
non-US customer, followed by the United Arab Emirates
(UAE), which ordered six of these aircraft last
year.
India should get its fist C 17 in about two to
three years after signing the Letter of Acceptance
(LoA) with the US Government, now that US Congressional
approval has been accorded to the Indo-US deal
in this regard.
Dunehew said that normally, it should take about
three years to deliver an aircraft, but if India
wanted, the delivery period could be cut short
as Boeing could request other customers to delay
their deliveries.
Notably, barring an odd case of pilot error or
attacks in combat, the aircraft has never had
any accident, said Dunehew.
|
