World's biggest defence aircraft C-17 Globemastrer III to be inducted in IAF today

Defence Minister AK Antony will formally induct world’s biggest and versatile military transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster-III in the kit of Indian Air Force (IAF) that will strengthen the defence arms. This will be the third aircraft to be inducted in IAF service as India has already received two such aircrafts in June and July this year.

US made this aircraft is capable of carrying 77-tonne of armaments and goods to remote areas and can land on rough and unprepared surfaces.

Antony will induct this aircraft into IAF service at the Hindon Air Base near Delhi today.

This will help in bolstering the IAF's capability to swiftly transport combat troops and equipment such as tanks to the front.

According to reports, the aircraft procured from the US will be inducted into the newly-formed 81 'Skylord' Squadron.

The C-17, with a capability to carry around 77 tonnes of load and around 150 fully geared troops, will replace the Russian IL-76 as the biggest aircraft in the IAF inventory till now. The IL-76 had the capability to carry loads upto around 40 tonnes.

The US Air Force will complete the delivery of all the 10 aircraft by the end of next year.

Boeing is on track to deliver two more C-17s to the IAF this year and five in 2014. Once India receives its full complement of ten aircraft, it will be the largest C-17 operator outside the US. In operation since 1991, the C-17 has been used in humanitarian and military missions around the world and recently surpassed 2.6 million flight hours.

It can carry a cargo of wheeled US Army vehicles in two side-by-side rows, including the US Army's main battle tank, the M-1. Three Bradley infantry-fighting vehicles comprise one load. It can drop a single 60,000-lb. payload, with sequential load drops of 110,000 lb.

The transporter can seat 54 on the sidewall and 48 in the centreline. It can even back up a two-percent slope, the company said.

Boeing has delivered 256 C-17s, including 222 to the US Air Force and a total of 34 to Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace.