It joins the first and second India C-17 airlifters, which arrived in June and July, respectively. Boeing is on track to deliver two more C-17s to the IAF this year and five in 2014.
In operation since 1991, the C-17 is a large, versatile military transport aircraft able to carry heavy, oversize loads long distances and land on rough and unprepared surfaces. It has been used in humanitarian and military missions around the world and recently surpassed 2.6 million flight hours.
Boeing has delivered 256 C-17s, including 222 to the U.S. Air Force and a total of 34 to Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations.
IAF to induct its biggest transport plane on Monday
Defence Minister A K Antony will today formally induct 70-tonne C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft into service at the Hindon Air Base near Delhi. The Defence Minister will formally induct the aircraft procured from the US under a deal expected to be over Rs 20,000 crore into the newly-formed 81 'Skylord' Squadron here, IAF officials said here. The American C-17, with a capability to carry around 80 tonnes of load and around 150 fully geared troops, will replace the Russian Il-76 as the biggest aircraft in the IAF inventory till now. The Il-76 had the capability to carry loads upto around 40 tonnes. The IAF has placed orders with the US for ten such aircraft under the deal signed in 2011 and three of them have already been delivered.
The IAF operates six C-130Js and has plans of procuring six more for operations on small and unpaved runways alongside routine transport missions. The IAF also has the Russian Antonov-32 in its inventory.
Additional inputs courtsy: Zee News dated September 01, 2013
