C-17 Globemaster III (IAF)

[Abhi9]

 

[Abhi9]

at edwards airforce base

 

[cloud_9]

Pratt & Whitney delivers F117 engines to Boeing

Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp, has delivered the first 10 F117 engines to Boeing to power a fleet of C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force.

The Ministry of Defence had signed a letter of offer and acceptance with the US Government in 2011 to acquire 10 C-17s.

The first of these C-17 aircraft is now going through a US Air Force flight test programme at Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale, Calif. The Indian Air Force is scheduled to take delivery of its first five C-17s this year and five in 2014

 

[p2prada]

any plans to buy more of these planes?

Six more...

 

[wild goose]

It carries passengers as well as choppers


At an altitude of about 6,000 ft. a sudden, brief turbulence left some of us scrambling for support when the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III hit an air pocket somewhere over Bangalore.

We were ambling around the aircraft's innards, studying its finer details when we were jolted back to, well, the air.

"There's lot of cloud, that is why there's some turbulence. Otherwise the aircraft flies smoothly," said technical sergeant Jerome Thomas, a loadmaster on board, minutes after the aircraft demonstrated a steep landing at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka.

Deal with Boeing

"On our missions, we have carried a lot of stuff — vehicles and helicopters among others on the C-17," said Mr. Thomas, who has been on missions to Iraq and Afghanistan, providing details on the Globemaster that will equip the Indian armed forces. In 2011, India signed a $4.1 billion deal with Boeing to supply 10 aircraft.

During the half-hour demonstration flight, Maj. Kenneth Kirkpatrick and co-pilot Captain Chris Ross conducted manoeuvres, including a couple of 360 degree turns, steep landing and backing among others. The Globemaster has a modest seating arrangement for 54 people, leaving a huge space in the centre where the floor can be flipped to make changes — either to move cargo and reconfigure seats. Loadmaster Thomas demonstrated the operation of the ramp. "The aircraft has a capacity to carry 77 tonnes of cargo and has a range of 5,000 to 7,000 km, depending on wind, temperature and weight. The cruise speed of the aircraft is .76 Mach," said Marc E. Caudill. The seating capacity can be reconfigured up to 184 depending on the need.

'Honour to fly it'

Captain Angela Kimler, another pilot on board, said: "It is an honour to be flying the Globemaster and it's doing a great job. It is also giving [us] many opportunities to participate in various missions." The young captain has been flying the C-17 since 2007 and has been on missions in Iraq and Afghanistan that included medical evacuation, cargo and movement of people. "At least 10 per cent of the flying crew of Globemaster are women," she added.

The Globesmaster has been flown down here by a demonstration team of the Pacific Air Force based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, led by Maj. Kenneth Kirkpatrick of 535th Airlift Squadron.

It is one of the nine Globemasters at the base. It took the 16-member team nearly 20 hours to reach Bangalore after a stopover at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The flight has a call sign "Reach" on international missions and "Slew" at the home station.

Boeing, in a release, said the C-17's unique ability to fly long distances, and land in remote airfields in rough terrains and landlocked regions, makes it the premier transporter for military, humanitarian and peacekeeping missions.

The Hindu : Cities / Bangalore : It carries passengers as well as choppers

 

[bhramos]

Delivery of C-17 Aircrafts

A Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) was signed with US Government under Foreign Military Sales (FMS) on 14th June, 2011 for procurement of 10 C-17 Globemaster Ill aircraft and associated support. The delivery of C-17 aircraft is scheduled to commence from June, 2013and complete by June, 2015. The C-17 Globemaster III is an aircraft capable of conveying combat units and their equipment up to a distance of 4,200 km - 9,000 km with a load of 40 Tons - 70 Tons in a single hop. This coupled with a short turnaround time and modern avionics allows it to be deployed rapidly to any place within our areas of interest. The procurement of C-17 aircraft will enhance the strategic airlift capability of the Indian Air Force.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri DhruvaNarayanain Lok Sabha today.

Delivery of C-17 Aircrafts

 

[Vishwarupa]

Globemaster to add to IAF's airlift capabilities

NEW DELHI: India is all set to get genuine strategic airlift capabilities with the induction of the gigantic C-17 Globemaster-III aircraft, which will allow it to transport heavy armoured vehicles, howitzers and combat troops to distant battlefronts or hotspots at the double.

"The Hindon airbase will get the first C-17 aircraft from the US in mid-June, with another two following in July. The aircraft will be a huge strategic asset," IAF chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne said. All the 10 C-17 aircraft, contracted for $4.1 billion in mid-2011 under the largest defence deal inked with the US till now, will reach Hindon, on the outskirts of New Delhi, by June 2015.

Capable as they are of landing on forward makeshift runways with short turnaround times, the rugged C-17s are central to the swift power-projection capabilities being slowly acquired by India to counter China's massive build-up of military infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control, which includes at least five fully-operational airbases, an extensive rail network and over 58,000-km of roads in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

These giant four-engine airlifters also dovetail neatly into the Army's endeavour to raise a new mountain strike corps (around 40,000 soldiers), apart from two "independent" infantry brigades and two "independent" armoured brigades, to plug operational gaps as well as to acquire "some ground offensive capabilities" against China.

With a cargo weight of 70 tonnes, the C-17s can take off, fly a distance of 4,200 km and land in a runway of just about 3,500 feet in length. With half the load, they can go more than double the distance. The C-17s will join the six C-130J 'Super Hercules' aircraft, much smaller than the former but equally adept at landing at austere airstrips, already based at Hindon for the last couple of years.

ACM Browne said the commercial negotiations for six more C-130J aircraft - the first six were acquired for $1.2 billion — between India and US were in the final stages. "We hope to ink the deal within this year, apart from the ones for 22 Apache attack and 15 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters," he said.

Interestingly, the six new C-130J 'Super Hercules', which will also be customised for "special and covert operations" like the first six, will be based at Panagarh in West Bengal to take care of the eastern sector with China. The Army's new mountain strike corps will also have its headquarters in Panagarh.

Both the C-17s and C-130Js will help rapidly rush troops and equipment to "advanced landing grounds" that are being progressively upgraded in eastern Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh to strengthen deterrence military capabilities against China.

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My question here is US defense deals close very easily but not other countries deals like MMRCA. Why is that?

 

[W.G.Ewald]

My question here is US defense deals close very easily but not other countries deals like MMRCA. Why is that?

Maybe long experience of US companies? Just a guess.

 

[Vishwarupa]

Maybe long experience of US companies? Just a guess.

Maybe US has good reach in India than any other countries. Remember wiki leaks.

 

[p2prada]

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My question here is US defense deals close very easily but not other countries deals like MMRCA. Why is that?

Maybe long experience of US companies? Just a guess.

MRCA is a multinational tender while C-17 was a govt to govt deal. In a multinational tender, the MoD holds a competition between various companies who want to sell. 1) Tech evaluations happen first, and the best contenders are selected. 2) Then there is a bidding process between the down selected companies. 3) One comes out the victor and then contract negotiations start. Also there is a lot of red tape involved before and after each step.

In a govt to govt deal, step 2 is not required and step 1 is very small process since only one company is involved.

There are various govt to govt deals between various countries that we sign in record times. Eg are the various contracts we have with Russia for MKI, T-90, FGFA, Brahmos etc. With the US we have P-8 and C-17. The US attempted to sell the F-35 in a govt to govt deal outside the MRCA contract.

PS: In the US, govt to govt deal is called FMS.

The reason why US deals are so fast is because contract negotiations are non-existent. As in the US shows you a product for this and this rate, the buyer can only accept or reject, there is no negotiation. It's literally like walking into a brand store and buying clothes, you can't negotiate there, can you?

 

[rock127]

First US C-17 heavy-lift plane arrives next week | idrw.org


The first of the heavy lift transport planes, the C-17-Globemaster-III, is slated to land at the Hindon airbase near New Delhi on June 17. Once the entire fleet is in place, it will provide India with the ability to rapidly move troops, equipment, tanks and even choppers to far off places.

Two more planes will follow over the next six weeks after which the IAF will conduct a formal induction ceremony of the first lot of three in August. At present, the planes will be based at Hindon, where the first lot of six medium lift C-130-Js, also procured from the US, have been based.

India had ordered 10 C-17 from Boeing at a cost of $4.1 billion and deliveries are expected to completed by 2014 end. The order was placed in early 2011. The aircraft is produced at Boeing's facility at Long Beach California.

Each of these planes will have a carrying capacity of 74 tonnes, that is more than double the capacity of the IAF's existing heavy lift aircraft, the Soviet-origin IL-76. At present, the IAF has a 12 IL-76 which are largely used to ferry supplies to Jammu and Kashmir from Chandigarh. The medium lift requirements are met by the fleet of 100-odd AN-32 planes purchased from the Soviet Union some three decade ago.

The C-17 will play a crucial role in any force projection along the 4057-km long frontier with China. The plane can land at small forward airbases on semi-prepared runways, termed as advanced landing grounds (ALGs) in Indian defence ministry parlance. Such ALGs exist in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. It can ferry a tank and a couple of hundred troops. And with India looking to add 10 more C-17s to its fleet, the airlift capacity will then be to lift an infantry brigade (some 4,500 men) and land them at different place within hours.

The aircraft with strategic capabilities and can land at unprepared sand runways with a clearance of 3,000 feet and even when carrying its full load of 74 tonnes. The aircraft's real use will be for carrying heavy equipment like tanks or choppers. The aircraft has an endurance of 4,500 km, hence allowing India to dominate its area of interest from the straits of Malacca to its east to the Persian Gulf to its west.

Around 250 C-17 are in service worldwide. When the US launched its offensive in Afghanistan in 2001, the plane was used to ferry supplies, vehicles and equipment. Most of these are with the US Air Force with small number of aircraft delivered to Australia, Canada, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the 12-member strategic airlift capability initiative of NATO. India, by placing the order, has become the largest C-17 foreign operator.

Each of these planes will have a carrying capacity of 74 tonnes, that is more than double the capacity of the IAF's existing heavy-lift aircraft, the Soviet-origin IL-76
At present, the IAF has 12 IL-76 which are largely used to ferry supplies to Jammu and Kashmir from Chandigarh
The medium-lift requirements are met by the fleet of 100-odd AN-32 planes purchased from the Soviet Union 30 years ago
The C-17 will play a crucial role in any force projection along the 4057-km-long frontier with China


THE GLOBEMASTER-III Stats

General characteristics
Crew: 3: 2 pilots, 1 loadmaster
Capacity:
102 paratroopers
158 troops with palletized and sidewall seats or
53 troops with sidewall seats (allows 13 cargo pallets) only or
36 litter and 54 ambulatory patients or
Cargo, such as an M1 Abrams tank,[177] three Strykers, or six M1117 Armored Security Vehicles
Payload: 170,900 lb (77,519 kg) of cargo distributed at max over 18 463L master pallets or a mix of palletized cargo and vehicles
Length: 174 ft (53 m)
Wingspan: 169.8 ft (51.75 m)
Height: 55.1 ft (16.8 m)
Wing area: 3,800 ft² (353 m²)
Empty weight: 282,500 lb (128,100 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 585,000 lb (265,350 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofans, 40,440 lbf (180 kN) each
Fuel capacity: 35,546 U.S. gal (134,556 L)
Performance
Cruise speed: Mach 0.74 (450 knots, 515 mph, 830 km/h)
Range: 2,420 nmi[174] (2,785 mi, 4,482 km) ; 5,610 nmi (10,390 km) with paratroops[178]
Service ceiling: 45,000 ft (13,716 m)
Max. wing loading: 150 lb/ft² (750 kg/m²)
Minimum thrust/weight: 0.277
Takeoff run at MTOW: 7,600 ft (2,316 m)[174]
Landing distance: 3,500 ft (1,060 m)

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

Hope India clears the purchase for 10 more of these aircrafts.

 

[WMD]

The claim abt more than double capacity of Il-76 is false. IAF Il-76MD has a max payload capacity of 48 tons.

 

[TrueSpirit]

2 questions?

1) How downgraded are our C-17 & C-130 (being export variants) ? I mean, the specific capabilities that are missing apart from Friend-foe identifier, radio links etc.
Are there plans to indigenous compensate for these lacunae ?

2) Why has IAF not shown any interest in C-5 Galaxy ? If we really want strategic airlift capability, what can be better ?

It lifts up to 120 tons (thrice of IL-76), for 5500 Kms. distance at nearly 0.8 Mach (not simultaneously, though), with a service ceiling of 10500 mts. It would take 3 times lesser sorties than Gajraj would need to lift same payload for similar distance. It can even lift T-90's 5 T-90's or 4 Arjuns in 2 sorties to high altitudes wherever applicable. Something that no other transport ferry in IAF can achieve as of now.

So, why is this low level of interest ? Is this too costly (not likely, for us) or, a maintenance nightmare (Like Mi-26) ?

Or, is it simply not available for us, even through FMS route ?

 

[abingdonboy]

IAF's first C-17 handed over to the IAF:

 

[lookieloo]

2 questions?

1) How downgraded are our C-17 & C-130 (being export variants) ? I mean, the specific capabilities that are missing apart from Friend-foe identifier, radio links etc.
Are there plans to indigenous compensate for these lacunae ?

2) Why has IAF not shown any interest in C-5 Galaxy ? If we really want strategic airlift capability, what can be better ?

It lifts up to 120 tons (thrice of IL-76), for 5500 Kms. distance at nearly 0.8 Mach (not simultaneously, though), with a service ceiling of 10500 mts. It would take 3 times lesser sorties than Gajraj would need to lift same payload for similar distance. It can even lift T-90's 5 T-90's or 4 Arjuns in 2 sorties to high altitudes wherever applicable. Something that no other transport ferry in IAF can achieve as of now.

So, why is this low level of interest ? Is this too costly (not likely, for us) or, a maintenance nightmare (Like Mi-26) ?

Or, is it simply not available for us, even through FMS route ?

1. The C-130Js and C-17s ordered by the IAF are built as India specified (and to satisfaction from what I've read). If either one has an extra capability in US service that others don't, I haven't heard about it; so why the paranoia about a "downgrade"?

2. My understanding is that the C-5 tooling was destroyed some time ago. The plane had a lot of issues to fix post-production and the USAF is always trying to retire the things.

 

[Payeng]

"The C-17 will equip the Indian Air Force with amongst the world's most advanced humanitarian and strategic capabilities,"

Livefist: First C-17 For IAF Takes Off For India

Does it means that it can be used for humanitarian and peaceful purpose onlee?

 

[Blackwater]

IAF's first C-17 handed over to the IAF:

our officers are as usual lack physical personalities and grace

 

[Blackwater]

First US C-17 heavy-lift plane arrives next week | idrw.org


The first of the heavy lift transport planes, the C-17-Globemaster-III, is slated to land at the Hindon airbase near New Delhi on June 17. Once the entire fleet is in place, it will provide India with the ability to rapidly move troops, equipment, tanks and even choppers to far off places.

Two more planes will follow over the next six weeks after which the IAF will conduct a formal induction ceremony of the first lot of three in August. At present, the planes will be based at Hindon, where the first lot of six medium lift C-130-Js, also procured from the US, have been based.

India had ordered 10 C-17 from Boeing at a cost of $4.1 billion and deliveries are expected to completed by 2014 end. The order was placed in early 2011. The aircraft is produced at Boeing's facility at Long Beach California.

Each of these planes will have a carrying capacity of 74 tonnes, that is more than double the capacity of the IAF's existing heavy lift aircraft, the Soviet-origin IL-76. At present, the IAF has a 12 IL-76 which are largely used to ferry supplies to Jammu and Kashmir from Chandigarh. The medium lift requirements are met by the fleet of 100-odd AN-32 planes purchased from the Soviet Union some three decade ago.

The C-17 will play a crucial role in any force projection along the 4057-km long frontier with China. The plane can land at small forward airbases on semi-prepared runways, termed as advanced landing grounds (ALGs) in Indian defence ministry parlance. Such ALGs exist in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. It can ferry a tank and a couple of hundred troops. And with India looking to add 10 more C-17s to its fleet, the airlift capacity will then be to lift an infantry brigade (some 4,500 men) and land them at different place within hours.

The aircraft with strategic capabilities and can land at unprepared sand runways with a clearance of 3,000 feet and even when carrying its full load of 74 tonnes. The aircraft's real use will be for carrying heavy equipment like tanks or choppers. The aircraft has an endurance of 4,500 km, hence allowing India to dominate its area of interest from the straits of Malacca to its east to the Persian Gulf to its west.

Around 250 C-17 are in service worldwide. When the US launched its offensive in Afghanistan in 2001, the plane was used to ferry supplies, vehicles and equipment. Most of these are with the US Air Force with small number of aircraft delivered to Australia, Canada, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the 12-member strategic airlift capability initiative of NATO. India, by placing the order, has become the largest C-17 foreign operator.

Each of these planes will have a carrying capacity of 74 tonnes, that is more than double the capacity of the IAF's existing heavy-lift aircraft, the Soviet-origin IL-76
At present, the IAF has 12 IL-76 which are largely used to ferry supplies to Jammu and Kashmir from Chandigarh
The medium-lift requirements are met by the fleet of 100-odd AN-32 planes purchased from the Soviet Union 30 years ago
The C-17 will play a crucial role in any force projection along the 4057-km-long frontier with China


THE GLOBEMASTER-III Stats

General characteristics
Crew: 3: 2 pilots, 1 loadmaster
Capacity:
102 paratroopers
158 troops with palletized and sidewall seats or
53 troops with sidewall seats (allows 13 cargo pallets) only or
36 litter and 54 ambulatory patients or
Cargo, such as an M1 Abrams tank,[177] three Strykers, or six M1117 Armored Security Vehicles
Payload: 170,900 lb (77,519 kg) of cargo distributed at max over 18 463L master pallets or a mix of palletized cargo and vehicles
Length: 174 ft (53 m)
Wingspan: 169.8 ft (51.75 m)
Height: 55.1 ft (16.8 m)
Wing area: 3,800 ft² (353 m²)
Empty weight: 282,500 lb (128,100 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 585,000 lb (265,350 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofans, 40,440 lbf (180 kN) each
Fuel capacity: 35,546 U.S. gal (134,556 L)
Performance
Cruise speed: Mach 0.74 (450 knots, 515 mph, 830 km/h)
Range: 2,420 nmi[174] (2,785 mi, 4,482 km) ; 5,610 nmi (10,390 km) with paratroops[178]
Service ceiling: 45,000 ft (13,716 m)
Max. wing loading: 150 lb/ft² (750 kg/m²)
Minimum thrust/weight: 0.277
Takeoff run at MTOW: 7,600 ft (2,316 m)[174]
Landing distance: 3,500 ft (1,060 m)

IAF has 24 IL-76

 

[abingdonboy]

our officers are as usual lack physical personalities and grace

Are you reffering to that Air vice marshal who seemingly refuses to smile?


From all the accounts I've ever heard regarding Indian military officers/soldiers interacting with foreingers- Indian officers/soldiers always seem to come off very polite, courteous and warm .