C-17 on agenda for CCS

Neelam Mathews

May 31, 2011

Time:4:55pm IST

After many false alarms, the clearance for Boeing's C-17s is on the agenda of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) being held on June 1. Senior heads including ministers of Finance, Defense and Home Affairs expected to attend the CCS, are said to be in town.

Cleared by the U.S for $5.8billion, the MoD order for ten C-17s is for $4.2 billion. It comes with a 30% offsets clause worth $1.2 billion.

Boeing is believed to be supplying an air tunnel and an engine testing facility for extreme environments valued at ½ billion U.S dollars as part of the offsets, AerospaceDiary learns. The engine testing facility will be used for the indigenous Kaveri engine presently tested in Russia.

The IAF is also planning to place orders for additional aircraft. Word has it that Boeing will get an additional order for at least five more in the short term.

Recently the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defense received a brand new C-17 Globemaster III from Boeing's C-17 final assembly facility in Long Beach. The C-17s are to expand the UAEs ability to perform humanitarian and strategic-lift missions.

The C-17 can transport large payloads and land on short, rough runways. With a full payload of 170,000 pounds, a C-17 can fly 2,400 nautical miles and land in 3,000 ft or less.