The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is designed to fulfill military and humanitarian airlift needs well into the 21st century. A high-wing, four-engine, T-tailed aircraft with a rear-loading ramp, the C-17 can carry large combat equipment and troops or humanitarian aid across international distances directly to small austere airfields anywhere in the world.
With a payload of 160,000 pounds, the C-17 can take off from a 7,600-foot airfield, fly 2,400 nautical miles, and land on a small, austere airfield in 3,000 feet or less. The C-17 is equipped with an externally blown flap system that allows a steep, low-speed final approach and low-landing speeds for routine short-field landings.
Worldwide, there are currently a total of 199 C-17s in service. Boeing is under contract with the U.S. Air Force to design, build and deliver 205 C-17s through mid-2010. Boeing has delivered 185 C-17s to the Air Force as of April, 2009.
There are 14 C-17s in service internationally. The RAF has acquired six, the Royal Australian Air Force and Canadian Defence Forces have each received four C-17s. The 12-nation Strategic Airlift Capability consortium--members of NATO and Partnership for Peace--will take delivery of three C-17s in 2009. On February 24, 2009, the United Arab Emirates announced its intention to acquire four C-17s. Qatar, the first Middle East customer to order C-17s, will take delivery of two of the advanced airlifters in 2009.
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