On 22 January — and on schedule — Boeing delivered the first of 10 C-17 Globemaster III ‘airlifters’ ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF); the plane will undergo a US Air Force flight test programme at Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale, California. Boeing is scheduled to deliver four more C-17s to the IAF this year and five in 2014.

India’s Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with the US government on 15 June 2011 to acquire 10 C-17 ‘airlifters’, making India the largest C-17 customer outside the USA. Boeing has delivered 250 C-17s world-wide, including 218 to the US Air Force.

A total of 32 C-17s have been delivered to Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations.

Boeing will support the IAF C-17 fleet through the Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP) Performance-Based Logistics contract. The GISP ‘virtual fleet’ arrangement ensures mission readiness by giving all C-17 customers access to an extensive support network for world-wide parts availability and economies of scale.

This brings spares and support closer to the point of use and makes the C-17 more affordable to own and operate.