Fri, Jan 28, 2011
Aircraft Assigned To The Joint Rapid Reaction Force
The Royal Air Force has received its seventh C-17 Globemaster
III airlifter at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England. The
aircraft was officially delivered on Nov. 16 from Boeing's facility
in Long Beach, CA, and underwent modifications at the company's San
Antonio facility before flying to the United Kingdom.
"The RAF C-17 fleet, along with the rest of the Airbridge,
delivers an incredible capability to our deployed forces on the
front line," said Air Officer Commanding 2 Group, Air Vice-Marshal
Philip Osborn, Royal Air Force. "I am also extremely proud of the
outstanding contribution that all our aircraft and personnel are
making toward continued progress in Afghanistan."
Assigned to 99 Squadron at RAF Brize Norton, the UK fleet of
C-17s provides critical airlift capability for the nation's Joint
Rapid Reaction Force and has supported humanitarian and
disaster-relief missions to Pakistan, Haiti and Chile. 99
Squadron's C-17s are equipped with upgraded software and avionics,
as well as additional fuel tanks that extend the aircraft's
nautical mile range to over 4,000 miles. In normal operations, the
aircraft carries a crew of three -- two pilots and one
air-loadmaster.
"May 2011 will mark the 10th anniversary of the delivery of the
Royal Air Force's first C-17, which continues to perform superbly
-- anytime and anywhere," said Boeing UK C-17 Program Manager Liz
Pace. "The RAF uses its C-17s more than any other service today,
which is why it has surpassed 60,000 flight hours with just six
aircraft."
The UK Ministry of Defence announced it would acquire its
seventh C-17 in December 2009, less than one year before
delivery.
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