SQUADRON SIGNAL McD
C-17 GLOBEMASTER III IN ACTION USAF *HB* RAF RAAF RCAF
HARDBOUND
BOOK ***BRAND NEW CONDITION*** ISBN 9780897477222
BY BILL
NORTON
SQUADRON SIGNAL, 2013. BRAND NEW
HARDBACK, 80 PAGES, 220 PHOTOGRAPHS AND DETAILED LINE DRAWINGS.
BOEING'S VERSATILE C-17 GLOBEMASTER III COMBINES
STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL AIRLIFT INTO ONE WIDE-BODY AIRCRAFT CAPABLE OF SHORT
TAKEOFF AND LANDING FROM UNPAVED FIELDS. THE GIANT, FOUR-ENGINE CARGO JET HAS
BECOME MORE AND MORE PROMINENT IN REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES WORLDWIDE.
WHETHER CARRYING THE PRESIDENT, PARATROOPERS, CASUALTIES, OR VITAL MATERIEL, OR
WHEN PERFORMING AIRDROP OR ASSAULT LANDINGS, THE C-17 IS THE IMAGE OF CURRENT
AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY AND POWER PROJECTION.
THIS RICHLY ILLUSTRATED, ALL-COLOR, MONOGRAPH HIGHLIGHTS
EVERY ASPECT OF THE GLOBEMASTER DESIGN AND MISSION EXECUTION THROUGH ALL
THEATERS OF AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN BOTH WARTIME AND PEACETIME. ALL US AND
FOREIGN OPERATORS ARE DISCUSSED AND PORTRAYED IN PHOTOGRAPHS. COMBAT
OPERATIONS, DISASTER RELIEF, UPGRADES, AND PRODUCTION ARE ALL DESCRIBED IN WORD
AND IMAGE. THIS VOLUME IS A MUST FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN ONE OF THE VERY
LATEST MILITARY AIRCRAFT THAT HAS MADE AN ESSENTIAL CONTRIBUTION IN RECENT
CONFLICTS AND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO DECADES MORE OF EXCITING SERVICE.
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Additional Information from Internet Encyclopedia
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military
transport aircraft. It was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF)
from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries
forward the name of two previous piston-engined military cargo aircraft, the
Douglas C-74 Globemaster and the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. The C-17
commonly performs tactical and strategic airlift missions, transporting troops
and cargo throughout the world; additional roles include medical evacuation and
airdrop duties. It was designed to replace the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, and
also fulfill some of the duties of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, freeing the C-5
fleet for outsize cargo.
The C-17 is 174 feet (53 m) long and has a wingspan of
about 170 feet (52 m). It can airlift cargo fairly close to a battle area. The
size and weight of U.S. mechanized firepower and equipment have grown in recent
decades from increased air mobility requirements, particularly for large or
heavy non-palletized outsize cargo.
For cargo operations the C-17 requires a crew of three:
pilot, copilot, and loadmaster. The cargo compartment is 88 feet (27 m) long by
18 feet (5.5 m) wide by 12 feet 4 inches (3.76 m) high. The cargo floor has
rollers for palletized cargo but it can be flipped to provide a flat floor
suitable for vehicles and other rolling stock. Cargo is loaded through a large
aft ramp that accommodates rolling stock, such as a 69-ton (63-metric ton) M1
Abrams main battle tank, other armored vehicles, trucks, and trailers, along
with palletized cargo.
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). With a
payload of 160,000 pounds (73,000 kg) and an initial cruise altitude of 28,000
ft (8,500 m), the C-17 has an unrefueled range of about 2,400 nautical miles
(4,400 kilometres) on the first 71 aircraft, and 2,800 nautical miles (5,200
kilometres) on all subsequent extended-range models that include a sealed
center wing bay as a fuel tank. Boeing informally calls these aircraft the C-17
ER. The C-17's cruise speed is about 450 knots (830 km/h) (Mach 0.74). It is
designed to airdrop 102 paratroopers and their equipment. The U.S. Army's
canceled Ground Combat Vehicle was to be transported by the C-17.
The C-17 is designed to operate from runways as short as
3,500 ft (1,100 m) and as narrow as 90 ft (27 m). In addition, the C-17 can
operate from unpaved, unimproved runways (although with greater chance of
damage to the aircraft). The thrust reversers can be used to move the aircraft
backwards and reverse direction on narrow taxiways using a three- (or more)
point turn. The plane is designed for 20 man-hours of maintenance per flight
hour, and a 74% mission availability rate.
The first production C-17 was delivered to Charleston Air
Force Base, South Carolina, on 14 July 1993. The first C-17 squadron, the 17th
Airlift Squadron, became operationally ready on 17 January 1995. The C-17 has
broken 22 records for oversized payloads. The C-17 was awarded U.S. aviation's
most prestigious award, the Collier Trophy, in 1994. A Congressional report on
operations in Kosovo and Operation Allied Force noted "One of the great
success stories...was the performance of the Air Force's C-17A". The C-17
flew half of the strategic airlift missions in the operation, the type could
use small airfields, easing operations; rapid turnaround times also led to
efficient utilization.
In FY 2006, eight C-17s were delivered to March Joint Air
Reserve Base, California; controlled by the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC),
assigned to the 452d Air Mobility Wing; and subsequently assigned to AMC's
436th Airlift Wing and its AFRC "associate" unit, the 512th Airlift
Wing, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, supplementing the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.
In 2011, the New York Air National Guard's 105th Airlift Wing at Stewart Air
National Guard Base, New York, transitioned from the C-5 to the C-17.
The C-17 is powered by four Pratt & Whitney
F117-PW-100 turbofan engines, which are based on the commercial Pratt and
Whitney PW2040 used on the Boeing 757. Each engine is rated at 40,400 lbf (180
kN) of thrust. The engine's thrust reversers direct engine exhaust air upwards
and forward, reducing the chances of foreign object damage by ingestion of
runway debris, and providing enough reverse thrust to back the aircraft up on
the ground while taxiing. The thrust reversers can also be used in flight at
idle-reverse for added drag in maximum-rate descents. In vortex surfing tests
performed by C-17s, up to 10% fuel savings were reported.
C-17s delivered military goods and humanitarian aid
during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in
Iraq as well as humanitarian missions in the immediate aftermath of the 2010
Haiti earthquake, the 2011 Sindh floods delivering thousands of food rations,
tons of medical and emergency supplies. On 26 March 2003, 15 USAF C-17s
participated in the biggest combat airdrop since the United States invasion of
Panama in December 1989: the night-time airdrop of 1,000 paratroopers from the
173rd Airborne Brigade occurred over Bashur, Iraq. The airdrop of paratroopers
were followed by C-17s ferrying M1 Abrams, M2 Bradleys, M113s and artillery.
USAF C-17s have also been used to assist allies in their airlift requirements,
including Canadian vehicles to Afghanistan in 2003 and Australian forces during
the Australian-led military deployment to East Timor in 2006. In 2006, USAF
C-17s flew 15 Canadian Leopard C2 tanks from Kyrgyzstan into Kandahar in
support of NATO's Afghanistan mission. In 2013, five USAF C-17s supported
French operations in Mali, operating with other nation's C-17s (RAF, NATO and
RCAF deployed a single C-17 each).
A C-17 accompanies the President of the United States on
his visits to both domestic and foreign arrangements, consultations, and
meetings. The C-17 is used to transport the Presidential Limousine and security
detachments. There have been several occasions when a C-17 has been used to
transport the President himself, temporarily gaining the Air Force One call
sign while doing so.
There was debate over follow-on C-17 orders, Air Force
having requested line shutdown while Congress attempted to reinstate
production. In FY2007, the Air Force requested $1.6 billion in response to
"excessive combat use" on the C-17 fleet. In 2008, USAF General
Arthur Lichte, Commander of Air Mobility Command, indicated before a House of Representatives
subcommittee on air and land forces a need to extend production to another 15
aircraft to increase the total to 205. Pending the delivery of the results of
two studies in 2009, Lichte observed that the production line may remain open
for further C-17s to satisfy airlift requirements. The USAF eventually decided
to cap its C-17 fleet at 223 aircraft; its final delivery was on 12 September
2013.
Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in the 1990s,
continued to manufacture C-17s for export customers following the end of
deliveries to the U.S. Air Force. Aside from the United States, the C-17 is in
service with the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Qatar, United Arab
Emirates, NATO Heavy Airlift Wing, India, and Kuwait. The final C-17 was completed
at the Long Beach, California plant and flown on 29 November 2015.
Boeing has marketed the C-17 to many European nations
including Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. The
Royal Air Force (RAF) has established an aim of having interoperability and
some weapons and capabilities commonality with the USAF. The 1998 Strategic
Defence Review identified a requirement for a strategic airlifter. The
Short-Term Strategic Airlift (STSA) competition commenced in September of that
year, however tendering was canceled in August 1999 with some bids identified
by ministers as too expensive, including the Boeing/BAe C-17 bid, and others
unsuitable. The project continued, with the C-17 seen as the favorite. In
the light of Airbus A400M delays, the UK Secretary of State for Defence, Geoff
Hoon, announced in May 2000 that the RAF would lease four C-17s at an annual
cost of £100 million from Boeing for an initial seven years with an optional
two-year extension. The RAF had the option to buy or return the aircraft to
Boeing. The UK committed to upgrading its C-17s in line with the USAF so that
if they were returned, the USAF could adopt them. The lease agreement
restricted the operational use of the C-17s, meaning that the RAF could not use
them for para-drop, airdrop, rough field, low-level operations and air to air
refueling.
The first C-17 was delivered to the RAF at Boeing's Long
Beach facility on 17 May 2001 and flown to RAF Brize Norton by a crew from No.
99 Squadron. The RAF's fourth C-17 was delivered on 24 August 2001. The RAF
aircraft were some of the first to take advantage of the new center wing fuel
tank found in Block 13 aircraft. In RAF service, the C-17 has not been given an
official service name and designation (for example, C-130J referred to as
Hercules C4 or C5), but is referred to simply as the C-17 or "C-17A
Globemaster".
The RAF declared itself delighted with the C-17. Although
the Globemaster fleet was to be a fallback for the A400M, the Ministry of
Defence (MoD) announced on 21 July 2004 that they had elected to buy their four
C-17s at the end of the lease, even though the A400M appeared to be closer to
production. The C-17 gives the RAF strategic capabilities that it would not
wish to lose, for example a maximum payload of 169,500 pounds (76,900 kg)
compared to the A400M's 82,000 pounds (37,000 kg). The C-17's capabilities
allow the RAF to use it as an airborne hospital for medical evacuation
missions.
Another C-17 was ordered in August 2006, and delivered on
22 February 2008. The four leased C-17s were to be purchased later in 2008.
Because of fears that the A400M may suffer further delays, the MoD announced in
2006 that it planned to acquire three more C-17s, for a total of eight, with
delivery in 20092010. On 26 July 2007, Defence Secretary Des Browne announced
that the MoD intended to order a sixth C-17 to boost operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan. On 3 December 2007, the MoD announced a contract for a sixth C-17,
which was received on 11 June 2008.
On 18 December 2009, Boeing confirmed that the RAF had
ordered a seventh C-17, which was delivered on 16 November 2010. The UK
announced the purchase of its eighth C-17 in February 2012. The RAF showed
interest in buying a ninth C-17 in November 2013.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) began investigating
an acquisition of heavy lift aircraft for strategic transport in 2005.[86] In
late 2005 the then Minister for Defence Robert Hill stated that such aircraft
were being considered due to the limited availability of strategic airlift
aircraft from partner nations and air freight companies. The C-17 was
considered to be favored over the A400M as it was a "proven aircraft"
and in production. One major RAAF requirement was the ability to airlift the
Army's M1 Abrams tanks; another requirement was immediate delivery. Though
unstated, commonality with the USAF and the United Kingdom's RAF was also
considered advantageous. RAAF aircraft were ordered directly from the USAF
production run and are identical to American C-17 even in paint scheme, the
only difference being the national markings. This allowed delivery to commence
within nine months of commitment to the program.
On 2 March 2006, the Australian government announced the
purchase of three aircraft and one option with an entry into service date of
2006. In July 2006 a fixed price contract was awarded to Boeing to deliver four
C-17s for US$780M (A$1bn). Australia also signed a US$80.7M contract to join
the global 'virtual fleet' C-17 sustainment program and the RAAF's C-17s will receive
the same upgrades as the USAF's fleet.
The Royal Australian Air Force took delivery of its first
C-17 in a ceremony at Boeing's plant at Long Beach, California on 28 November
2006. Several days later the aircraft flew from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
to Defence Establishment Fairbairn, Canberra, arriving on 4 December 2006. The
aircraft was formally accepted in a ceremony at Fairbairn shortly after
arrival. The second aircraft was delivered to the RAAF on 11 May 2007 and the
third was delivered on 18 December 2007. The fourth Australian C-17 was
delivered on 19 January 2008. All the Australian C-17s are operated by No.
36 Squadron and are based at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland.
On 18 April 2011, Boeing announced that Australia had
signed an agreement with the U.S. government to acquire a fifth C-17 due to an
increased demand for humanitarian and disaster relief missions. The aircraft
was delivered to the RAAF on 14 September 2011. On 23 September 2011,
Australian Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced that the
government was seeking information from the U.S. about the price and delivery
schedule for a sixth Globemaster. In November 2011, Australia requested a sixth
C-17 through the U.S. FMS program; it was ordered in June 2012, and was
delivered on 1 November 2012.
Australia's C-17s have supported ADF operations around
the world, including supporting Air Combat Group training deployments to the
U.S., transporting Royal Australian Navy Sea Hawk helicopters and making
fortnightly supply missions to Australian forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The
C-17s have also carried humanitarian supplies to Papua New Guinea during
Operation Papua New Guinea Assist in 2007, supplies and South African Puma
helicopters to Burma in 2008 following Cyclone Nargis, relief supplies to Samoa
following the 2009 earthquake, aid packages around Queensland following the
20102011 floods and Cyclone Yasi, and rescue teams and equipment to New
Zealand following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and equipment
after the 2011 Tôhoku earthquake and tsunami from Western Australia to Japan.
In July 2014, an Australian C-17 transported several bodies of victims of
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 from Ukraine to the Netherlands.
In August 2014, Defence Minister David Johnston announced
the intention to purchase one or two additional C-17s. On 3 October 2014,
Johnston announced the government's approval to buy two C-17s at a total cost
of US$770M (A$1bn). The United States Congress approved the sale under the
Foreign Military Sales program. Prime Minister Tony Abbott confirmed in April
2015 that two additional aircraft are to be ordered, with both delivered by
November 4, 2015; these are to add to the six C-17s it has as of 2015.
Canada's air arm has had a long-standing need for strategic
airlift for humanitarian and military operations around the world. It had
followed a pattern similar to the German Air Force in leasing Antonovs and
Ilyushins for many of its needs, including deploying the Disaster Assistance
Response Team (DART) to tsunami-stricken Sri Lanka in 2005. The air service was
forced to rely entirely on leased An-124 Ruslan for a Canadian Army deployment
to Haiti in 2003. The service has also used a combination of leased Ruslans,
Ilyushins and USAF C-17s for moving heavy equipment into Afghanistan. In 2002,
the Canadian Forces Future Strategic Airlifter Project began to study
alternatives, including long-term leasing arrangements.
On 5 July 2006, the Canadian government issued a notice
that it intended to negotiate directly with Boeing to procure four airlifters
for the Canadian Forces Air Command (Royal Canadian Air Force after August
2011). On 1 February 2007, Canada awarded a contract for four C-17s with
delivery beginning in August 2007. Like Australia, Canada was granted airframes
originally slated for the U.S. Air Force, to accelerate delivery.
On 16 June 2007, the first Canadian C-17 rolled off the
assembly line at Long Beach, California and into the paint hangar for painting
and addition of Canadian markings including the national logo and air force
roundel. The first Canadian C-17 made its initial flight on 23 July. It
was turned over to Canada on 8 August, and participated at the Abbotsford
International Airshow on 11 August prior to arriving at its new home base at 8
Wing, CFB Trenton, Ontario on 12 August. Its first operational mission was
delivery of disaster relief to Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Dean. The
second C-17 arrived at 8 Wing, CFB Trenton on 18 October 2007. The last of four
aircraft was delivered in April 2008. The official Canadian designation is
CC-177 Globemaster III. The aircraft are assigned to 429 Transport Squadron
based at CFB Trenton.
On 14 April 2010, a Canadian C-17 landed for the first
time at CFS Alert, the world's most northerly airport. Canadian Globemasters
have been deployed in support of numerous humanitarian and military missions
worldwide, including Operation Hestia after the earthquake in Haiti, providing
airlift as part of Operation Mobile and support to the Canadian mission in
Afghanistan. After Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in 2013, Canadian C-17s
established an air bridge between the two nations, deploying Canada's DART Team
and delivering humanitarian supplies and equipment. In 2014, they supported
Operation Reassurance and Operation Impact.
On 19 December 2014, it was reported that Canada's
Defence Department intended to purchase one more C-17. On 30 March 2015,
Canada's fifth C-17 arrived at CFB Trenton.
In June 2009, the Indian Air Force (IAF) selected the
C-17 for its Very Heavy Lift Transport Aircraft requirement to replace several
types of transport aircraft. In January 2010, India requested 10 C-17s through
the U.S.'s Foreign Military Sales program, the sale was approved by Congress in
June 2010. On 23 June 2010, the Indian Air Force successfully test-landed a
USAF C-17 at the Gaggal Airport, India to complete the IAF's C-17 trials. In
February 2011, the IAF and Boeing agreed terms for the order of 10 C-17s with
an option for six more; the US$4.1 billion order was approved by the Indian
Cabinet Committee on Security on 6 June 2011.
The aircraft provides strategic airlift and the ability
to deploy special forces, such as during national emergencies. They are
operated in diverse terrain from Himalayan air bases in North India at 13,000
ft (4,000 m) to Indian Ocean bases in South India. The C-17s are based at
Hindon Air Force Station and are operated by No. 81 Squadron IAF Skylords. The
first C-17 was delivered in January 2013 for testing and training; it was
officially accepted on 11 June 2013. The second C-17 was delivered on 23 July
2013 and put into service immediately. IAF Chief of Air Staff Norman AK Browne
called the Globemaster III "a major component in the IAF's modernization
drive" while taking delivery of the aircraft at Boeing's Long Beach
factory. On 2 September 2013, the Skylords squadron with three C-17s officially
entered IAF service.
The Skylords regularly fly missions within India, such as
to high-altitude bases at Leh and Thoise. The IAF first used the C-17 to
transport an infantry battalion's equipment to Port Blair on Andaman Islands on
1 July 2013. Foreign deployments to date include Tajikistan in August 2013, and
Rwanda to support Indian peacekeepers. One C-17 was used for transporting
relief materials during Cyclone Phailin. The fifth aircraft was received in
November 2013. The sixth aircraft was received in July 2014.
Boeing delivered Qatar's first C-17 on 11 August 2009 and
the second on 10 September 2009 for the Qatar Emiri Air Force. Qatar received
its third C-17 in 2012, and fourth C-17 was received on 10 December 2012. In
June 2013, the New York Times reported that Qatar was allegedly using its C-17s
to ship weapons from Libya to the Syrian opposition during the civil war via Turkey.
On 15 June 2015, it was announced at the Paris Airshow that Qatar agreed to
order four additional C-17s from the five remaining "white tail"
C-17s to double Qatar's C-17 fleet.
In February 2009, the United Arab Emirates Air Force
agreed to purchase four C-17s. In January 2010, a contract was signed for six
C-17s. In May 2011, the first C-17 was handed over and the last of the six was
received in June 2012.
Kuwait requested the purchase of one C-17 in September
2010 and a second in April 2013 through the U.S.'s Foreign Military Sales (FMS)
program. The nation ordered two C-17s; the first was delivered on 13 February
2014.