RAF Takes Delivery Of 6th C17

[Brendan Cowan]

Hi all,

Here is an update from DefenseNews on the Qatar C-17A order:

Qatar's 2 C-17s Continues Trickle of Orders

By gayle s. putrich
Published: 24 Jul 18:07 EDT (22:07 GMT)

Boeing's at-risk C-17 line will get another small boost, this time in the form of a two-plane order from Qatar.


Qatar will be first Middle Eastern customer for the Globemaster III. (Kenn Mann / U.S. Air Force) The purchase marks Qatar's first from a U.S. defense contractor and the C-17 Globemaster III's first Middle Eastern customer.

The planes will be delivered in the summer of 2009, according to Boeing execs, who would not disclose an amount on the deal.

"Our customer has asked us not to talk numbers," said John Williamson, spokesman for Boeing's mobility programs.

The U.S. Air Force - which already maintains a presence in Qatar - will provide logistics support under a separate contract.

The Qatar Armed Forces will be the fourth country to join the C-17 family, following Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. It is the first country, however, to cite the C-17's abilities in humanitarian aid missions as a major selling point for the massive cargo lifter.

The Globemaster III is equipped for long-haul flights and was designed to land on short, unimproved runways when necessary.

Boeing is drawing close to wrapping up delivery of the U.S. Air Force's 190-plane C-17 order. Twice now, Boeing has had to tell C-17 parts suppliers that orders were coming to an end due to the lack of additional planes in the U.S. Air Force's budget; both times, Congress came to the rescue with billions of unrequested dollars. But letters flew back and forth between Capitol Hill and the Pentagon as 2007 drew to a close, with members declaring such maneuvering could not continue.

Last summer, Boeing decided to revive the line on its own dime, betting on more U.S. orders in the near future and that NATO would soon lock down a deal for its three planes. Congress continues to grudgingly come through, so orders are trickling in for now, but the NATO deal still awaits two signatories, Boeing execs said at the Farnborough International Air Show.

"Any orders are helpful," Williamson said of the Qatari deal. "But let's face it: the long-term viability of the C-17 line is dependent on consistent U.S. orders."

Analysts say that while the deal is a "notable market development," on its own, it's not enough to bolster the fading production line.

"It's an unexpected development. Suddenly there's an international market for strategic lift. There didn't used to be," said Richard Aboulafia of the Fairfax., Va.-based Teal Group.

While on their own, two planes for Qatar isn't much, he said, but exports in aggregate - six for the U.K., four each for Canada and Australia and now two for Qatar - reduce the number the U.S. Air Force has to commit to for the line to keep running. It also establishes a foothold for Boeing in a relatively new market, Aboulafia said.

Boeing will, however, have competition, in the form of perennial commercial adversary and tanker foe Airbus. EADS, the parent company to Airbus, has already introduced the Gulf region to the Airbus Military A400M cargo lifter and intends to bring the turboprop to the United States within the next decade.

"There is a substantial lift requirement in the Middle East, but the A400M people have been very active over there, and there has been a shift toward European aircraft," Aboulafia said.


E-mail: gputrich@defensenews.com.

[herkman]

And also announces further options on two more.

Going to need their ten slots yet

Col

[Brendan Cowan]

And the USAF has had funding approved to buy another 15.

With NATO buying two, it looks like that production line will survive another year.

BC

[gordon]

Great to see the government spending the money to get our transport fleet up to something worthwhile.

Gordon

[Demon50]

Gordon, I think we're talking the RAF not the RAAF here.

[Brendan Cowan]

That's right.

The RAAF would have to have a fifth before taking on a sixth.

;)

BC

[Brendan Cowan]

Now it seems that Qatar has also ordered the C-17.

I saw this in Defense News:

Boeing Wins Qatar Order For C-17 Airlifters
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 21 Jul 13:53 EDT (17:53 GMT)

NEW YORK - Boeing signed a contract with Qatar on July 21 for C-17 military airlifters, the U.S. aerospace giant said, without revealing how many of the long-range troop and cargo aircraft were ordered.

Delivery of Globemasters to Qatar are slated to begin in the summer of 2009. (Boeing photo) The government of Qatar's purchase of the C-17 Globemaster III airlifter will provide "new strategic-airlift mobility capabilities" for the Qatar Armed Forces (QAF), Boeing said.

The company did not give the value of the order but said it would begin deliveries from its Long Beach, California-based C-17 factory in summer 2009.

Qatar will sign a foreign military sales agreement for contractor logistics support with the U.S. Air Force, it said.

"Boeing is pleased that Qatar joins its international partners - the U.S. Air Force, the UK Royal Air Force, Canadian Forces and the Royal Australian Air Force - in selecting the C-17, the world's leading airlifter, to modernize its defense forces' airlift fleet," said Jean Chamberlin, vice president and general manager of Boeing's Global Mobility Systems.

Boeing has sold 175 C-17s to the U.S. Air Force and is on contract to deliver 190.

The company said there are 189 C-17s in service worldwide: 175 in the U.S., six in Britain, four in Canada and four in Australia.

The C-17, capable of intercontinental flight and landing on short, poorly equipped runways, is used for both military and humanitarian missions.

The transport aircraft can be refueled in flight.