Boeing handed over the UK Royal Air Force's second Globemaster III to Air Commodore David Vass at Long Beach on 13 June. The first aircraft was delivered to 99 Squadron at RAF Brize Norton on 17 May, a low-key event due to the UK general election campaign. The USAF's C-17s have already flown more than 250,000h since 1995, and have participated in Operations Joint Endeavour and Allied Force. The aircraft won the Collier Trophy in 1994, and the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award in 1999. The aircraft set 22 world records for payload-to-altitude and STOL performance during flight development, and eight aircraft flew a record-breaking 19h, 8,000nm (14,800km) airdrop operation during 1998. The C-17 can take off from a 7,600ft (2,300m) runway while carrying a 160,000lb (73,000kg) payload, and then fly 2,400nm (4,400km), landing on a 3,000ft (900m) runway.
The aircraft will give the RAF many new capabilities, although the lease conditions have been criticised in some quarters for being unnecessarily restrictive. The RAF is not allowed to use the aircraft's formidable tactical and airdrop capabilities, and penalties will be imposed for exceeding the agreed number of annual flying hours. The terms of the seven-year lease are a closely-guarded secret, but Flight Daily News understands that the basic lease cost is £650 million ($975 million), to which must be added a £150 million USAF support contract, and personnel and infrastructure costs estimated at £400 million.
Source: Flight Daily News
