RAAF to get another C17 Globemaster III
 

Australia is investigating the purchase of an additional C-17A Globemaster III heavy lift aircraft Minister for Defence Stephen Smith said today.

Australia has sent a Letter of Request to the United States regarding the potential purchase of an additional C-17A aircraft through the United States Foreign Military Sales program, formally seeking cost and availability information.

Mr Smith said the Royal Australian Air Force currently had four C-17A Aircraft. They were delivered over the period 2006 to 2008. The first of these became operational in 2007, providing the Australian Defence Force with a global airlift capability.

Recent events in Queensland and Christchurch have underlined the C‑17s as an essential part of Australia's capacity to respond to natural disasters both within Australia and within our region.

While disaster relief has been a recent public focus for C-17 operations, they continue to support Australian and International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan and the Middle East, meeting their primary purpose in providing military long-range heavy airlift.

The C‑17A aircraft can lift very large and heavy cargoes over long distances providing a significant contribution to Australia's ability to reach and respond to events. One C‑17A can carry up to four C-130 Hercules loads in a single lift and cover twice the distance in three-quarters of the time of a C‑130 Hercules.

Mr Smith said that acquisition of an additional C-17 would almost certainly obviate any need for the acquisition of two additional C-130J-30 aircraft under project AIR 8000 Phase 1.

As outlined in the Public Defence Capability Plan, the additional C-130J acquisition is planned for final decision by Government in the period 2013-14 to FY 2014-15.

Following receipt of cost and availability information from the United States , the Government will make a decision about purchase based on capability, cost and schedule assessments of an additional C-17.

Source : MoD Australia

Why only one more, it should be at least two as the production line is about to close!

I would have thought an additional 6 needed to acquire critical mass on the spares inventory. With the current workload around the world, an additional (4-6) would be easily utilized. More the better, however the Government seems it has given itself a tight budget.

One's better than none.

Yes, as was stated in Australian Aviation Magazine recently 2 more, within the strict budgetary constraints, would be best for a variety of reasons instead of just 1.

As for real world practicality and possible future workloads then another 4-8 would be better and of more use than replacing the oldest Hercs due to be retired with a few newer Hercs.:ok:

Sadly, even if aircraft are avail off the line before it closes it all comes down to cash in the end. :uhoh:

I thought the production line was set to close 2012ish and that Boeing were going to cut down production rates soon (if not now) due to the majority of orders having been completed.

That being the case, i'm certain the government will have to make a decision in the next financial year... not 2013-2014.

As usual (from personal RAAF transport experience and acquaintance with people in the present-day transport world), this extra C17 will be ordered without any increase in funding for flying hours or logistics support, ie, drivers, blokes with spanners and a spare part in hand to fix it when it breaks, etc.

But like everything else, it will look impressive on the flight line. Even when it's not working. We can say we have FIVE, not four. And the public will be proud, and wonder how often it flies, and marvel at the stupendous cost savings achieved in not buying two aircraft @ about $70-80 million each, but instead buying a single C17 @ about $200 million.

<dutchy's ex-military sarcasm off>

Extra C17
 

Should get Bob Hawke on the case. I recall his stated intention to sell the first two B707's into RAAF service if he got into office. Did he sell them? No, he got five more.

The fifth aircraft is already in production and should be delivered by the end of September...THIS YEAR!

Not too sure about that, The decision to purchase hasn't exactly been made, just a letter of inquiry essentially. The RAAF and in particular DMO have to shore up the money first, dip into a number of other buckets and make sure the dosh is there before it goes ahead. My point was that the original reporting (from newspapers mind you) was a bit odd seeing that it was saying the decision to purchase wasn't going to be made until after the production line had closed. Journo's go their numbers wrong no doubt.

There are currently 4 unassigned C-17's sitting out the front of the production facility. I'm almost certain that one of those would go to the RAAF if the decision is made soon.

spacemantan, I thought the money for the C-17 was coming from approx $400 million surplus from the defence budget.

Incorrect. The money is coming from that already put aside for the two extra J's under Phase 1 of Air 8000. Despite what The Canberra Times has claimed, there is no direct link to last year's underspend! It actually helps the Govt because the money for the Js was allocated for FY13-14 which is when Govt wanted to return to surplus. That money will now be brought forward to FY11-12, and about $100 million will actually be returned to the DCP.

It's a formality - a tail number HAS been assigned, and it's on the line now. Trust me when I say it'll be here by the end of September...unless we get another budget busting national emergency on the scale of QLD floods/Yasi/Christchurch etc.

FA18 - Is this the same 'Trust me' as when you said the KC-30A is all fine and will be here soon??:E

I'll bend over and take that fair and square...would you believe end of May for the KC-30??? :}

And another ....
 

From Minister Clare's office earlier today:

Minister for Defence Materiel – Sixth C-17A Globemaster III – Letter of Request

And still no word on AIR 8000 Ph 2. A sixth C-17A will utterly rule out any more J model Hercs as well. I had a sortie cancelled this week due to a lack of airframes. I'm sure ALG and Ronnie are thrilled to be getting another hulking big Globemaster III, but we need more airworthy Hercs and we need Spartans.

I'm no expert on AF doctrine but I would have thought that we are very well placed now- with the addition of this extra C17- in the strategic transport category but that our tactical transport is now severely 'underdone' with lack of Caribou replacement even on the horizon? Do extra CH-47s cut it in that role or do we need something like a Spartan?

How about CH47Fs with AAR prode (MH47s) and KC130s instead of C27Js?

Or

Both CH47F AND Spartans?

:dreaming:

Be smart to add another KC-30 while we're at it..

Extra tankers never go astray particularly if we're looking at more Super Bugs..

Probably getting it to ferry boat people from Port Hedland to Tin Can Bay army base , the strip there is being lengthened to take them as we speak. The army base rumoured to become another refugee camp.... Wonderful!!!!!

Is there a recent example where a defensive focused airforce (essentially AUS) has managed to get refuelling / airlift capacity airborne when caught by a strategic surprise attack. Rather than having it destroyed on the ground?

Interesting argument in the above mentioned release justifying another $250million C17. Surely "twice the distance in three quarters of the time" would require a speed of 2.66 x the Herc's 290kt cruise speed rather than the C17's 450kt? Also most of the recent jobs quoted (recent relief efforts to Queensland,Japan & NZ) don't really seem to require the hugely impressive but expensive capabilities of the C17 and could presumably have been done by a standard civilian freighter or pax a/c at a fraction of the capital & operating cost. I guess the very reasonable argument is that if we've got them, we might as well use them, but to justify adding to the fleet on this basis seems open to question.