Boeing has all but capped its C-17 production run and will soon shift gears to focus almost entirely on upgrade and sustainment, with Qatar ordering four of the last five aircraft and the US Air Force taking delivery of final aircrew training simulator.
The company is shuttering its C-17 plant at Long Beach in California after more than two decades of production, and it expects to sell its last aircraft by the fourth quarter of this year. Boeing has built a total of 279 C-17s since 1991.
Qatar announced at the Paris Air Show last week that it will double its C-17 fleet by purchasing four of last eight ultra-heavy-lift aircraft. Australia bought two, and the seventh has been sold to an as-yet unnamed customer.
US Air Force
Boeing executives Christopher Raymond and Jeff Kohler said at a briefing last week that every aircraft should have a buyer by the fourth quarter following “deep discussions with a number of countries”.
In another announcement, the company said today that the last of 28 US Air Force C-17 aircrew simulators has been delivered to Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base in Martinsburg, West Virginia.
The US government purchased just over 220 aircraft, and has established 14 training sites locally and three abroad. The first USAF C-17 simulator was delivered to Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, in 1992 and sites were setup around the country to avoid shifting airmen around.
US Air Force
There are currently eight international C-17 operators, including NATO. Australia, the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates have their own aircrew trainers and Boeing says India’s facility is almost ready. Boeing is on track to deliver 32 simulators in total.
“Having delivered, maintained and upgraded a long line of C-17 simulators for many years, we understand the significant role they play in mission readiness and we look forward to continuing our fleet support for decades to come,” says Jay Lyons, chief engineer of Boeing C-17 training.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
