Boeing has signed a contract with India to deliver its last C-17 Globemaster III
Boeing has signed a contract worth the US $ 262 million with India to deliver it’s last C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifted to India.
The production line at Long Beach, California is closed now. The ‘Buddha’ as the aircraft is fondly called will join the 10 C-17s already fielded by the IAF by 22 August 2019.
This contract follows US State Department approval of the sale, which the Defense Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) had originally put at USD336.2 million.
As with all the other operators of the C-17, the IAF’s fleet is supported by Boeing via its Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP) performance-based logistics contract.
This ‘virtual fleet’ enables international customers to tap into the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) vast support infrastructure.
It is likely that a large percentage of the value of this proposed Indian sale is related to the aircraft’s through-life sustainment and supports through the GISP program
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a military transport aircraft used for tactical and strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world.
The C-17 is 174 feet long and has a wingspan of about 170 feet.
The maximum payload of the C-17 is 170,900 pounds (77,500 kg), and its maximum takeoff weight is 585,000 pounds (265,000 kg)
