The Indian Navy Adds its 11th C-17

India is the largest operator of the C-17 outside the United States

The C-17 fleet is a vital part of Indian Air Force’s military airlift and humanitarian mission capabilities
Boeing provides sustainment, support equipment and aircrew training for IAF’s C-17 fleet

Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster III is a premier transporter for military, humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. The massive, sturdy, long-haul aircraft can carry large combat equipment, troops and humanitarian aid across long distances, directly to austere airfields anywhere in the world, in all weather conditions.

The C-17 fleet has been a vital part of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) strategic and combat airlift capability. The IAF C-17s have performed a wide range of operations in military missions, and provided peacekeeping support, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in India and internationally, since induction to the Sky Lords squadron in 2013.

Boeing has been maintaining IAF’s C-17 fleet through techno-logistics support and training for aircrew that operate the platform. The C-17 fleet has maintained high serviceability rates since its induction. Boeing is responsible for maintenance, field support services, modifications and upgrades, technical manual support and logistics engineering services. Boeing’s C-17 Simulator Training Center, established in 2016, provides training services to the IAF, and has completed over 5100 hours of training for aircrew and loadmasters. The Center has also maintained a serviceability state of nearly 100 percent since its inception.

With this delivery, there are 275 operable Boeing-built C-17s around the globe. Boeing plans to sustain them to ensure they meet the mission at hand.

This article was published by our partner India Strategic in September 2019.