Fifth RAF C-17 ordered
 

MoD site reporting that the order for the 5th C-17 has been confirmed, due to arrive in 2008.

Some good news on C17
 

On the MOD website



Royal Air Force gets a lift from C-17 Deal

4 Aug 06

The Royal Air Force will get a fifth C-17 transport aircraft,to be delivered in 2008, in a deal announced today by Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Tom Watson.
The deal, signed by the Ministry of Defence and Boeing, will increase the size of the RAF’s C-17 fleet from four to five. The C-17 can carry outsized loads of equipment, such as armoured vehicles, logistics equipment and helicopters, and allows UK Armed Forces to be deployed rapidly around the world.

Tom Watson also announced that the RAF will purchase the four aircraft it currently leases at the end of the current contract with Boeing in 2008. This will give the RAF a guaranteed long term capacity in this area and significantly improve its heavy airlift capability.
Mr Watson said: The C-17 can carry loads of up to 75 tonnes, fly distances up to 2,400 nautical miles, and land in remote, unpaved airfields in rough, land-locked regions. This makes it an invaluable asset for military, humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. The new C-17 aircraft will join the rest of the C-17 fleet at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire when it enters service in 2008.



The contract has been signed with a “conditions precedent” of US Congressional Notification, which is expected in late September 2006. The four current RAF C-17 Globemasters were leased from The Boeing Company in 2001 on a 7 year lease with the option to buy or extend at the end of that period. The final contract value is commercially sensitive.

Whilst away on that 'useful' exercise, Saif Sareea II in Oman in 2001 I had a chat with some US TALCE guys (the US 'Movers') who had pitched up literally overnight shortly after September 11th.

I commented on the vast amounts of kit they had bought in, which was a complete 'Bare Base' Movements setup, including vehicles and aircraft loading equipment. The array and amount of kit was truly impressive (no 12x12 tents and paste tables for them!)

The Master Sergeant told me that they had four C-17's loaded up with this 'QRF' Movements kit at all times based at a certain Eastern Seaboard USAF Base 'just in case'.

Just for this Movements setup. Nobody else.

When I commented on the fact that we had four leased C17's for the entire UK Airforce, Army AND Navy's use he just looked at me, shook his head and said, "Jeez, how the HELL do you guys ever get anything done..."

I thought it was a fair point to be honest. :oh:

CC

I thought we always had access to 5 C-17's? This was to allow 4 on ops and a fifth always at Boeing being spannered. Was this just someone wishing out loud? An unfullfilled aspiration (until now)?

There are only 4! Most of the servicing is now done at Brize anyway.

99 Sqn were given the extra manpower for the 5th AC a few years ago, it was then delayed so the manpower dripped away. I just hope they get all the manpower the need, but I doubt it.

It's a sad sign of the times when the addition of one C-17 in 2 years time is seen as a good thing, when we actually need at least another 30 now!!

:\

Then again...whats the point of another 30 aircraft when we haven't got the manpower to service/turn them around......them that know need to know we need people not aircraft and they are letting all the experience go without trying to hold on to it.....we seem to be going down the US route of "expeditionary wings" so why not the route of paying to sign on....

Keep on Roaming....

A smaller glimmer of good news. Welcome non the less.

Comp Charlie's comments re: QRF kit on USAF C-17s reminds me of this quote from the House of Commons report UK Operations in Iraq:

Q75 Chairman: A staggering story we heard while we were in Baghdad was that the Americans found in a warehouse 147 helicopters of theirs which they had not realised they had lost. By comparison, we have 17 helicopters in the whole of Iraq...

I/C

what kind of choppers did they find?

[and is there still a possibility of a sixth C-17 being added or is that definitely gone?]

Mostly Harley-Davidson, some Indians, and a significant number (30-40) full custom bikes.
:E

sounds about right to equip a "cavalry" company GK :D