C-17 Globemaster III inducted into the IAF The Indian Airforce yesterday officially inducted the Boeing C-17 III Globemaster Aircraft into its fleet. They will be based at Hindon Airforce Base near New Delhi. It will be operated by the No 81 Squadron nicknamed " Skylords". IAF has signed a deal worth 4.1 Billion Dollars in 2011 for 10 such heavy lifters and it holds options for 6 more. It may even order beyond the 6 options to augment its heavy lift capacity. The transports are powered by 4 Pratt and Whitney F117-PW-100 engines which each generate around 180 kionewtons of thrust at full thrust. These engines are derivatives of the Pratt and Whitney PW 2000 high bypass turbofans which power the Boeing 757. They can carry nearly 80 tones of cargo in its fully pressurized cargo bay, which means it can carry an Arjun Tank or 2 BMP-2 Armoured Personnel Carriers or 2 AH-64D Block 3 helicopters(under induction) all the way till Ladakh or just to rub it to the Chinese till Daulat Begi Oldi Airfield 7 Kilometers away from the China Border ![Clapping](https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/images/smilies/Clapping.gif) . A C-130J Hercules was enough to make them notice, guess what a Globemaster can do ![Big Grin](https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.png) . Aside from equipment, it can carry around 150 paratroopers or 54 ambulatory soldiers with medical personnel.
The Aircraft is going to replace the venerable IL-76MD Soviet built transport aircraft which could carry around 40 Tons of cargo. The Globemaster is going to be much more fuel efficient than the IL-76 which has low bypass Soliev turbofans. It will have a full glass cockpit with a crew of just 3 airmen(2 pilots and 1 loadmaster) compared to 7-8 crew on the Soviet plane( 2 Pilots, a flight engineer, a radio officer, a navigator and 2 loadmasters). The C-17 can land on gravel or poorly prepared short frontline runways with a full load and at high altitude thanks to its gravel kit, high mounted engines, and slatted wings.
The IL-76 if I am not wrong fares poorly on gravel runways. The Globemaster in trials landed at the Gaggal/Bhuntar airport next to the Beas River in Kullu,HP to prove its abilities. The runway there is just 4700 feet. It needs very little runway to take off to. In July the Globemaster carried a whole brigades equipment to the strategically located Andaman and Nicobar Islands prior to the rotational deployment on the islands. This aircraft also can be refueled inflight which greatly extends its 5000km range at full payload. It can carry paratroops till 10000 km non stop. It is also equipped with the latest defensive mechanisms to prevent it from getting hit by radar or infrared guided SAM's.
This aircraft all in all will provide a superb filip to the IAF's already awesome abilities allowing it to airlift large cargoes across long distances in times of need.
P.S: Picture is from Wikipedia. It is picture of the first IAF Globemaster during a training mission in USA
Last edited by GTO : 4th September 2013 at 16:14.
Reason: Adding paragraph spacing for superior readability
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