UK RAF to Receives 7th C-17 Globemaster III Aircraft

The Royal Air Force (RAF) will receive a 7th C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from Boeing under a contract signed with UK Ministry of Defence.

The C-17 Globemaster III is a high-wing, four-engine, T-tailed military transport aircraft, capable of carrying large equipment, supplies and troops. It can fly between continents and land on short, austere runways, during day or night.

The new C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, scheduled to be delivered in December 2010 to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, will provide critical airlift capability to air force.

The Boeing C-17 field services team will provide engineering, supply chain management and support, and maintenance of essential support equipment, and configuration and data services 24 hours a day.

The RAF’s C-17s have provided humanitarian relief to the victims of tsunamis in South-East Asia and earthquakes in Pakistan, and support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The RAF, as part of the worldwide C-17 fleet, participates in the C-17 Globemaster III sustainment partnership logistics support programme, which aims to increase mission readiness, and reduce operations and support costs.