Strategic Boost For Royal Air Force

Posted on: Apr. 8th, 2008 || Source: Royal Air Force (UK) | E-mail Article | Print Article

Strategic Boost For Royal Air Force

The reach and effectiveness of Britain's armed forces have received a significant shot in the arm with the addition of another Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft to the Royal Air Force fleet.

The RAF’s fifth C-17 flew in to RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, today (Monday 07 April) from the Boeing plant at San Antonio, Texas, after a 10 hour delivery flight, to join 99 Squadron. Four other C-17s have been operated by the squadron since 2001.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, said: “This fifth Royal Air Force C-17 will increase our ability to rapidly transport troops and heavy equipment to operations, and significantly enhance our overall logistics capability.

He added: “C-17s are robust, capable and flexible and have proven their worth on UK Operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan and more widely when we flew them in support of humanitarian operations following the Tsunami in South East Asia and the earthquake in Pakistan”.

The new aircraft, ZZ175, is the first C-17 to be owned outright by the RAF, the previous aircraft having been operated under a leasing arrangement from manufacturer Boeing. However the lease terminates later this year and these aircraft will then also transfer to full RAF ownership. A sixth C-17 is to be delivered to the RAF around mid-year this year.

On arrival the new aircraft was greeted with traditional plumes of spray from Brize Norton‘s fire tenders. No 99 Squadron’s Standard was paraded and inspected by the Reviewing Officer, Air Marshal Sir Barry Thornton, the RAF’s Chief of Materiel (Air), following a ceremonial flypast by a Tristar and a VC-10 aircraft from other squadrons already based at Brize Norton.

Sir Barry told his audience: “Since 99 Squadron has been operating C-17 in support of coalition operations, it has not been uncommon for three of the four aircraft to be all away in the operational theatre at the same time. Our theatres of operation are landlocked and surrounded by inhospitable terrain, which puts significant pressure on our aircraft. This fifth, and soon the sixth aircraft, will assist in alleviating this pressure.

“This additional aircraft will boost significantly the capacity of the airbridge. Over the past seven years the C-17 has proved itself to be an extremely rugged, reliable and capable platform.”

Sir Barry said that the US Air Force had agreed for the RAF to “jump the queue” on the C-17 production line thereby making it possible to satisfy an urgent requirement in theatre backed up by a global support contract with Boeing “which is an example of a modern day partnership that is working extremely well”.

The arrival of the new aircraft, he added, also marked the beginning of the transformation of RAF Brize Norton into the RAF’s only tanker/transport Main Operating Base with new generation aircraft such as the C-17, A400M, and A330 together with the C-130J Hercules due to move out of RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire, when it closes in a few years time.

The aircraft was captained on its delivery flight by 99 Squadron Officer Commanding, Wing Commander John Gladston. Co-pilot was Squadron Leader Paul Wyatt.

Wg Cdr Gladston explained that the Globemaster is “enormously important” to the RAF. “It is the backbone of the operational airbridge – we go into both operational locations several times a week,” he said.

C-17s frequently demonstrate their flexibility by carrying such loads of up to three Warrior vehicles, three Apache attack helicopters, 13 Land Rover vehicles, a Chinook helicopter, or even Tornado F3 fighters, allowing the RAF to get the right equipment to theatre rapidly.

They are capable of transporting heavy freight loads of about 160,000 lbs over 2,400 nautical miles, but more routinely carry around 100,000 lbs of freight for 4,500 nautical miles flying at more than 30,000 feet.

The RAF’s C-17 fleet has flown approximately 41,000 hours since delivery, and in the five years up to the end of last month (March 2008) these hard-working aircraft flew a total of 56,924 passengers and carried a massive 78,649,939 kilograms of freight, much of it to and from operational theatres.

Among others to witness the new arrival were Air Marshal Iain McNicoll, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Ops, Air Vice Marshal Andy Pulford, Air Officer Commanding No 2 Group, Mr Tommy Dunehew, Program Manager – International C-17 from Boeing, the aircraft’s manufacturer, and Mr James Evans, UK C-17 Integrated Project Team Leader, together with dignitaries and local government representatives from Oxfordshire.
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