C-17 to be a game-changer, says IAF chief

The induction of US-made Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifter will help deploy troops rapidly to forward bases in the northern and eastern sectors, air force chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said on Monday.

The induction of US-made Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifter will help deploy troops rapidly to forward bases in the northern and eastern sectors, air force chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said on Monday.

Extensively used by the US Air Force in Iraq and Afghanistan, the C-17 is capable of airlifting tanks, attack helicopters and infantry combat vehicles to India’s farthest frontiers.

At $4.1 billion, the C-17 deal is the biggest defence contract to have been signed by India and the US. Six more C-17s are in the works, with India planning to place a follow-on order.

“The induction of ten C-17 aircraft (by the end of 2014) promises to be a ‘game changer’ on how we conduct air transport operations,” he said.