Second Globemaster heading Down Under

by Derek Yeo - SINGAPORE - 11 May 2007


THE ROYAL Australian Air Force accepted its second C-17 Globemaster III. In a ceremony at Boeing Company's Long Beach manufacturing plant, Air Commordore Jack Plenty - chief of the RAAF's Airlift Group - received the aircraft in the presence of senior RAAF officers, Boeing's officials and workers.

The Australian Defence Force has been eagerly anticipating the delivery of its second C-17, said Air Cdre Plenty.

He disclosed, "Our C-17 squadron already has conducted several inter-continental, time-critical tasks over the past five months since the arrival of the first aircraft in December 2006. These tasks could never have been achieved if we did not have such a responsive global airlift capability."

Globemaster III number two will join 36 Squadron, the RAAF's heavy lift unit, at its Amberley base in Queensland state. With the latest delivery, the squadron has two Globemaster IIIs; the first having been delivered in 2006. Two more aircraft are contracted for delivery by 2008, bringing 36 Squadron's C-17 strength to four.

Boeing's Vice President/C-17 Program Manager Dave Bowman reiterated his team's firm commitment to its C-17 customers in ensuring on-schedule deliveries of its "world-class airlift capability".

Currently, the global C-17 fleet includes: 164 United States Air Force planes (total on contract: 190); four Royal Air Force planes ( the fifth in early 2008); two RAAF (two more by 2008) and four on contract to the Canadian Forces, the first scheduled production by August 2007. Boeing schedules its last production C-17 by mid-2009.

The Globemaster III's tactical and strategic roles enable its worldwide deployments on military and mercy flights. It is the only military heavy-lift jet in the world capable of using short landing strips in rough terrain.

Source: The Boeing Company

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