Taking Indian Air Force a step closer to the club of nations with very heavy lift capability, the US Congress earlier in June approved the sale of 10 C-17 Globemaster lll aircrafts to India. The Congress had been notified of this sale in April this year by the Defence Security Cooperation Agency. Although the Letter of Acceptance from the Obama administration is yet to reach New Delhi, Tommy Dunehew, VP, business development, Global Mobility Systems, Boeing IDS, flew to New Delhi to brief the press soon after.

If all goes as per the envisaged timeline, Boeing is hopeful that the contract for 10 C-17s would be signed before the year end, making India its largest international buyer. The combined C-17 fleet of UK, Australia, Canada, Qatar, UAE and NATO stands at 25. That would still be a distant second from the USAF with its planned 223 C-17s of which it has already been delivered 198. With its airlift capacity going manifold, IAF will be strategically placed in the subcontinent. Dunhew said that the LOA will arrive in a month or two, while the press has reported that the trials will begin towards June-end.
Priced at USD 580 million, including the spares, training, support from Boeing and the brokerage fee to the US government, C-17 might sound like an expensive affair but one look at the aircraft capabilities justifies the costs. Compared to the other transport aircraft, IL-76s which the IAF is currently flying and C-130J (six of which have already been contracted by the IAF), C-17 makes a steep cut above the rest.

At 170ft wide and 177ft long, carrying 40,000 ton, without refuelling, it can increase IAF’s reach to more than half of Africa on the west, till Australia on the east, entire Russia, most of Europe in stark contrast to the present capabilities with IL-76 (see pic).
Another important feature of the aircraft, which makes it crucial for IAF, is its ability to land on semi-prepared, unpaved runways and iced runways in Antarctica as well. Despite its size, the aircraft requires a runway strip of 3000 feet (with a cargo of 72,500 ton) to make a landing. Operating in theatres like Iraq and Afghanistan and disaster relief roles, the C-17 has displayed this capability several times. India, with its remote airfields in locations like Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and, Arunachal Pradesh can surely exploit this capability to the hilt.