Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Long-range heavy-lift military transport

Power Plant:

Four 181 kN (40,700 lbst) Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofans

Specifications:

History:

The concept of the C-17 commenced in the late 1970s when the United States was looking for a new long-range transport. In 1980 a draft request for proposals was issued to the US aircraft industry, the requirement being for a long-range, heavy-lift, air-refuellable cargo transport for intra-theatre airlift of outsize loads such as tanks and AFVs (armoured fighting vehicles), and with STOL capability. A number of designs were submitted, culminating in the C-17 being chosen with an all-digital FBW control system and Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofans, the military variant of the PW2037 fitted to the Boeing 757 airliner. The cargo hold is 25.96 m (85 ft 2 in) long, 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in) in height and 5.49 m (18 ft) wide.

On 31 December 1985 a full-scale development contract for one flying prototype and two structural test aircraft was let, construction of the prototype beginning in November 1987, and the first production contract for 210 aircraft was issued but in March 1990 this was reduced to 120 aircraft. The prototype (87-0025 – c/n T1) made its first flight at Long Beach, California on 15 September 1991 and flight testing was performed by the 6517th Test Squadron of the 6510th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, this unit later being re-numbered 417th TS of the 412th Tactical Wing. The name Globemaster III was chosen in June 1993 and first deliveries of production aircraft were to the 17th Airlift Squadron, 437th Airlift Wing of the USAF at Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina in late 1994. First overseas flight by the type (92-3291 – c/n P11) was to Mildenhall in the United Kingdom on 25 May 1994. The testing of the static test airframes (c/ns T2 and T3) continued from November 1991 until July 1996, the object being to complete two design lifetimes for the aircraft (60,000 hours) but this was extended at the request of the USAF to 90,000 hours. Production target was 16 aircraft per year in a new facility at Long Beach, California.

In December 1993 a threat to the programme arose when the Pentagon announced that only 40 aircraft would be purchased initially, this arising because of cost overruns, delays in delivery, and design problems, with C-33As (Boeing 747-400F) freighters being obtained in lieu. However, the problems were overcome and deliveries got ahead of schedule. In November 1995 the US Defence Acquisition Board announced approval to obtain the full complement of 120 aircraft. Two further units were equipped, these being the 437th at Charleston, which received 48 aircraft, and the 62nd at McChord Air Force Base, also with 48. The 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma received a total of eight. On 23 September 1992 the prototype C-17 made the first aerial refuelling of the type with a KC-10. As at early 2006 it was announced the line was expected to close in 2008 unless further orders were obtained. Production for the USAF ran to 180 aircraft.

A private venture variant of the type is the KC-17 tanker/transport project offered to the USAF as a replacement for the KC-135 Stratotanker series, this model to have additional fuel in the wing centre-section and in palletised tanks in the cargo hold, and to have the necessary equipment for transferring fuel to other aircraft. The manufacturer was also considering possible commercial applications for the civil freighter variant. Eventually the aircraft became known as the Boeing C-17 and by early 2015 266 examples had been constructed. These comprised 223 for the United States Air Force; four for Canada, six for the RAAF, eight for the RAF, six for the United Arab Emirates, two for Kuwait, four for Qatar, ten for India and three for a 12-member consortium of ten Nato countries and two for Partnership for Peace countries, these being attached to the Nato Strategic Air Capability based in Hungary.

To meet a similar problem to that of the RAAF, ie the lack of heavy lifting capacity, the Royal Air Force in recent years leased four C-17As to meet commitments of its troops in the Middle East. Later they were purchased, and two further aircraft ordered. The RAF was committed to purchasing a fleet of Airbus A400M Atlas military transports when that type became available. Production of the type was expected to conclude at Long Beach in July 2015 after 269 examples were delivered.

Following its introduction into service the C-17 set 22 world records during route flight testing for Class C-1 Heavy Aircraft Group III, these occurring between 16 December 1992 and 3 June 1994, the last involving the greatest load carried to 2,000 m (6,562 ft) of 19,996 kg (44,083 lb) in an actual take-off distance of 417 m (1,369 ft) and an actual landing distance of 413 m (1,356 ft). From the 71st aircraft built a change was made to the C-17, this involving the installation of an extended range fuel tank in a previously dry bay in the centre of the wing, increasing the aircraft’s range with an 18,000 kg (39,683 lb) payload by 1,667 km (1,036 miles).

In early 2006 the Australian Government was looking for a heavy transport capable of carrying four times the load of the C-130 Hercules, landing on airstrips as short as 900 m (2,953 ft) with a full load, and being able to accommodate the Australian Army’s new heavy battle tank, the M1A1 Abrams. The C-17 was described by the Ministry of Defence as a “Responsive Global Airlifter”. Up to that stage the Australian Defence Force had leased large transport aircraft from the United States, Britain and Russia to supply Australian forces deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Deployment of SAS troops to Afghanistan in 2005 required the lease of C-17s for 18 supply trips from Kuwait and the Government sought to fast-track the obtaining of four C-17As to meet defence needs in the coming years. Serials A41-001 to A41-004 were initially allotted to the series.

High priority was placed on the purchase by the Government due to serious operational problems caused by the over-use of the C-130 transports. In early March 2006 the Minister for Defence stated “Australia will spend $2-billion on a fleet of giant aircraft to transport tanks, helicopters and other heavy equipment to battle zones around the world”. Further, “The Federal Government would buy up to four US-built Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.” The Australian aircraft are stock standard Block 17 aircraft and identical to USAF aircraft, except for RAAF markings, these aircraft being aircraft 166, 173, 183 and 184 off the production line. The first RAAF C-17 (A41-206) was flown on 7 November 2006 at Long Beach, California, being flown to Australia where it was welcomed at a ceremony at Canberra, ACT on 4 December before taking up station at its Amberley, QLD base. The remaining three aircraft (A41-207 to A41-209) were delivered during the following two years. Subsequently the Australian Government ordered another two to meet commitments, the fifth becoming A41-210 and being delivered to Amberley on 23 September 2011, on which occasion the Minister for Defence announced a further example would be ordered through the US Foreign Military Sales system. This aircraft became A41-211 and was formally handed over at Long Beach on 1 June, arriving at Amberley on 6 November 2012.

Over recent years many flights have been made to Australasia by USAF C-17s, occasionally attending events like the Australian International Airshow at Avalon, VIC delivering aircraft and equipment for display, the 75th Anniversary Airshow at Amberley. Examples have visited Christchurch and other centres in New Zealand. In May 2006 two C-17s were lent to the ADF to return troops and equipment from deployment to the Solomon Islands, and to deploy troops and equipment to Darwin, NT for movement to East Timor for duties in that region.

The type has been used regularly in relation to natural disasters in this region, including cyclone Yasi, the Christchurch earthquake and the Japanese tsunami, as well as ongoing support to Australian forces deployed in the Middle East. Additional ramp, hangar space and terminal facilities were built at Amberley where No 36 Squadron C-17s and the fleet of Airbus KC-30A MRTTs of 33 Squadron are based. The type can lift a 70 tonne Abrams Main Battle Tank or other heavy vehicles including earth moving equipment. With a payload of 76,200 kg (165,000 lb) it can fly 6,020 km (3,741 miles), or, if the aircraft is empty, it can fly 12,040 km (7,482 miles). It has regularly been used to convey Australian Army Bushmaster armoured vehicles or Chinook helicopters to the Middle East. Helicopters carried included the Black Hawk, Eurocopter Tiger, and the MRH-90. It can carry 183 passengers 10,095 km (6,273 miles), 102 fully equipped troops, 54 ambulatory patients or 36 casualty litters, or 18 pallets of freight.

2011 was a busy year for the Australian fleet, being involved in major natural disasters in Japan and New Zealand, and supporting Australian forces in Afghanistan. First international relief operation was in May 2008 with two Aerospatiale Puma helicopters being flown to help with flood relief operations in Burma. At home the type provided assistance during cyclone Yasi, the devastating floods in Queensland in 2011, and flooding in Victoria in following months. During 2011 the fleet flew 2.2 million km (136,705 miles) during 141 missions and carried 755 tonnes of supplies and equipment to Afghanistan, 500 tonnes of equipment to Japan, and 320 tonnes during the relief operations during the Queensland floods.

On 3 October 2014 the Australian Defence Minister, Senator David Johnston, announced the RAAF was to acquire two additional C-17s and was considering obtaining a further two, bringing the total to ten aircraft. On 12 November the Australian Government requested a possible sale of up to four C-17As, 19 Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 engines, four large aircraft infra-red countermeasures systems and other equipment. At that time Boeing was building the 269th and last C-17 at its Long Beach, California facility and was building a further 15 white tail aircraft for future prospective customers. India, which had ten examples on order, was also considering increasing its fleet. In April 2015 the Prime Minister confirmed two more C-17s had been ordered, the 7th aircraft to be delivered by August 2015 and the 8th aircraft arriviving at Amberley, QLD on 4 November 2015.

Also in October 2014 the Minister for Defence stated the C-17As had been integral in supporting Australians at home and abroad, assisting in aid to communities after flooding and cyclones, during ”Operation Bring Them Home” from the Ukraine following the shooting down of an Airbus A-330, and in the search for Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 which disappeared off the West Australian coast. Aid was also delivered to Pakistan in 2010; to Christchurch, New Zealand following the earthquake in 2011; after tsunami damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011; and after Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2014.

The last of the 279 C-17s left the assembly line on 29 November 2015 and went into storage at San Antonio, Texas. In September 2017 an RAAF C-17 on its way to the Antarctic conducted an air-to-air refuelling with a KC-30A three-hours into the flight at an altitude of 6,706 m (22,000 ft) at a speed of 500 km/h (311 mph) for the first time in order to deliver 10,500 kg (23,149 lb) of cargo to researchers at the Australian Davis Research Station on Antarctica. The cargo was delivered at 270 km/h (168 mph) at 1,524 m (5,000 ft) by pallets by parachute, each weighing 700 kg (1,543 lb). The Australian Antarctic Division stated the mid-air refuelling capability would allow airdrop supplies to be made year-round if required.