The US State Department has approved the sale of a C-17 transport aircraft to India.
The estimated cost is $366.2 million.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a release:
“The Government of India has requested the possible sale of one (1) C-17 transport aircraft with four (4) Turbofan F-117-PW-100 engines. The sale would also include one (1) AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning System, one (1) AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing System (CMDS), one (1) AN/APX-119 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Transponder, precision navigation equipment, spare and repair parts, maintenance, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, warranty, Quality Assurance, ferry support, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, logistics and technical support services, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated cost is $366.2 million.
This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the U.S.-India relationship and to improve the security of an important partner which has been, and continues to be, an important force for economic progress and stability in South Asia.”
The proposed sale, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency say, will improve India’s capability to meet current and future strategic airlift requirements.
India lies in a region prone to natural disasters and will use the additional capability for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR). In addition, through this purchase India will be able to provide more rapid strategic combat airlift capabilities for its armed forces.
India currently operates C-17 aircraft and will have no difficulty absorbing this aircraft into its armed forces.
Is that one new C-17 already manufactured? I understand the production line is closed down, but Boeing produced a final 15 or so unsold aircraft on the likelihood that buyers would be found.
As production of this aircraft ended two years ago and the manufacturing facility in Long Beach Ca. now appears closed where will this aircraft come from? Another plant? A used version? Anyone know?
Boeing stopped making these 2 years ago.
They shouldn’t have.
I think there will be high demand for this aircraft for years to come.
It’s the last C-17 made, or the ‘white-tail’. It was built but no country had ordered it. India is now that country.