First C-17 to arrive in India shortly

[sancho]

@sancho AFAIK the MRTT modification hasn't been specified by any customer as of yet for service AFAIK.

Yes, because the first orders are for the normal version of course, but they will come for sure, since the European forces will go for the helicopter refuelling capability too and that is not possible with the A310 and A330 MRTTs.

However I have been reading up and it seems that out of 53 units the Germans plan to sell off 13 A400s to a third party although no one has come foreward yet. I wonder if the IAF could swoop in and bag itself a bargain?

Yes, that's what I said earlier. Germany will sell of 13 x A400s because of budget cuts, Spain even 17, so a total of 30 x aircrafts would be available soon and at lower costs, we just need to take the chance!

 

[IND151]

First C-17 to arrive in India shortly | idrw.org

 

[IND151]

You didn't think about the reasons why we currently need 2 platforms! The AN 32 can carry only around 40 paratroopers, an IL 76 over 120, so you will logically need 3 aircrafts for the same ammount of paratroopers. The difference between a C130J-30 and a C17 on the other hand is just 10 x paratroopers (92 vs 102). Even MTA will be able to carry around 80 x paratroopers too and the fact that C130s and MTAs will be deployed at more air bases around the country, makes them the logical choice for paradrops, since you have a suitable aircraft nearby and don't have to call the C17s and wait for till one is available (26/11!!!).




No, I agree that it has this capability, but that doesn't mean we would use this as part as our normal cargo operations. Tanks will be moved in higher numbers via road or rail transports. That's why we have dedicated wagons for Arjun, to transport via rail. The C17 can only carry a single Arjun and even if we occupy the whole C17 fleet, we would need a very long time to transport a useful number of tanks around, while no aircraft would be available for other missions. That's why this will be a very rare solution, in case road and rail links are destroyed for example and not a common policy.
The C17 is not a C5 or AN124, which are meant to carry higher numbers of MBTs. Even if we have to transport MBTs abroad for UN missions, we wouldn't use the C17s and would either lease an AN 124s, or ship them over => see recent Afghanistan, or Mali conflicts as well.

Again, the main purpose of C17s for India are long range strategic transports and high payload transports to high altitude areas. That are othe only roles where the C17 will have a decisive advantage over other aircrafts and for our requirements.
In any short to medium range, or medium payload missions, within or around India on the other side, the A400 class aircrafts are as useful, or even better.




Nope, the the real question would be, do you add 6 more strategtic transporters, or 12 x A400 multi role transport tankers for example, for the same costs?
The earlier would further improve the strategic transport roles, the latter the tactical, the strategic and the tanker roles and that in twice the numbers and no additional costs!!!

You have to see it like this, the C17 in IAF would be like the C5 in USAF (strategic transport), while the A400 in IAF would be like the C17 and the KC130J in USAF (tactical and strategic transports + tanker roles).
The US have to transport everything far away, be it tanks, or paratroopers, while Indian air force mainly is used in and around India, so range is not the important point, but efficient transports of payloads in different landscapes and climates, to dedicated air bases or unpaved airstrips and if possible with multi role capablities.

So the addition of A400 to the C17s, would offer:..

...more numbers (for the same costs)
...more variety of roles
...more available airstrips for operations around India
...more support capability (Tanker, special ops, paratrooper roles)
...more industrial benefits (because we still could take over parts of the production)...


While the addition of more C17, just offer more of the same capabilities in the same roles.

What are the advantages enjoyed by C-17 GM III over AN-124-150?

 

[Abingdonboy]

What are the advantages enjoyed by C-17 GM III over AN-124-150?

STOL capability on unprepared runways (ability to reverse under its own power), easier maintainability ( the IAF C-17s will be a part of the extensive Boeing global support network for the C-17) and all the other advantages that naturally come with Western equipment over Russian equipment.

 

[sancho]

What are the advantages enjoyed by C-17 GM III over AN-124-150?

Pretty much the same that an A400M has over the C17, lower maintenance costs, short take off and landing capabilities at unpaved / more airfields, tactical and multi role advantages.

 

[shree835]

First US C-17 heavy-lift plane arrives next week

The first of the heavy lift transport planes, the C-17-Globemaster-III, is slated to land at the Hindon airbase near New Delhi on June 17. Once the entire fleet is in place, it will provide India with the ability to rapidly move troops, equipment, tanks and even choppers to far off places.

Two more planes will follow over the next six weeks after which the IAF will conduct a formal induction ceremony of the first lot of three in August. At present, the planes will be based at Hindon, where the first lot of six medium lift C-130-Js, also procured from the US, have been based.

India had ordered 10 C-17 from Boeing at a cost of $4.1 billion and deliveries are expected to completed by 2014 end. The order was placed in early 2011. The aircraft is produced at Boeing’s facility at Long Beach California.

Each of these planes will have a carrying capacity of 74 tonnes, that is more than double the capacity of the IAF’s existing heavy lift aircraft, the Soviet-origin IL-76. At present, the IAF has a 12 IL-76 which are largely used to ferry supplies to Jammu and Kashmir from Chandigarh. The medium lift requirements are met by the fleet of 100-odd AN-32 planes purchased from the Soviet Union some three decade ago.

The C-17 will play a crucial role in any force projection along the 4057-km long frontier with China. The plane can land at small forward airbases on semi-prepared runways, termed as advanced landing grounds (ALGs) in Indian defence ministry parlance. Such ALGs exist in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. It can ferry a tank and a couple of hundred troops. And with India looking to add 10 more C-17s to its fleet, the airlift capacity will then be to lift an infantry brigade (some 4,500 men) and land them at different place within hours.

The aircraft with strategic capabilities and can land at unprepared sand runways with a clearance of 3,000 feet and even when carrying its full load of 74 tonnes. The aircraft’s real use will be for carrying heavy equipment like tanks or choppers. The aircraft has an endurance of 4,500 km, hence allowing India to dominate its area of interest from the straits of Malacca to its east to the Persian Gulf to its west.

Around 250 C-17 are in service worldwide. When the US launched its offensive in Afghanistan in 2001, the plane was used to ferry supplies, vehicles and equipment. Most of these are with the US Air Force with small number of aircraft delivered to Australia, Canada, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the 12-member strategic airlift capability initiative of NATO. India, by placing the order, has become the largest C-17 foreign operator.

THE GLOBEMASTER-III

Each of these planes will have a carrying capacity of 74 tonnes, that is more than double the capacity of the IAF’s existing heavy-lift aircraft, the Soviet-origin IL-76
At present, the IAF has 12 IL-76 which are largely used to ferry supplies to Jammu and Kashmir from Chandigarh
The medium-lift requirements are met by the fleet of 100-odd AN-32 planes purchased from the Soviet Union 30 years ago
The C-17 will play a crucial role in any force projection along the 4057-km-long frontier with China


http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130610/main5.htm

 

[IND151]

STOL capability on unprepared runways (ability to reverse under its own power), easier maintainability ( the IAF C-17s will be a part of the extensive Boeing global support network for the C-17) and all the other advantages that naturally come with Western equipment over Russian equipment.

Still C-17 is better than A-400M as it can carry more payload over longer range

First US C-17 heavy-lift plane arrives next week

The first of the heavy lift transport planes, the C-17-Globemaster-III, is slated to land at the Hindon airbase near New Delhi on June 17. Once the entire fleet is in place, it will provide India with the ability to rapidly move troops, equipment, tanks and even choppers to far off places.

Two more planes will follow over the next six weeks after which the IAF will conduct a formal induction ceremony of the first lot of three in August. At present, the planes will be based at Hindon, where the first lot of six medium lift C-130-Js, also procured from the US, have been based.

India had ordered 10 C-17 from Boeing at a cost of $4.1 billion and deliveries are expected to completed by 2014 end. The order was placed in early 2011. The aircraft is produced at Boeing’s facility at Long Beach California.

Each of these planes will have a carrying capacity of 74 tonnes, that is more than double the capacity of the IAF’s existing heavy lift aircraft, the Soviet-origin IL-76. At present, the IAF has a 12 IL-76 which are largely used to ferry supplies to Jammu and Kashmir from Chandigarh. The medium lift requirements are met by the fleet of 100-odd AN-32 planes purchased from the Soviet Union some three decade ago.

The C-17 will play a crucial role in any force projection along the 4057-km long frontier with China. The plane can land at small forward airbases on semi-prepared runways, termed as advanced landing grounds (ALGs) in Indian defence ministry parlance. Such ALGs exist in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. It can ferry a tank and a couple of hundred troops. And with India looking to add 10 more C-17s to its fleet, the airlift capacity will then be to lift an infantry brigade (some 4,500 men) and land them at different place within hours.

The aircraft with strategic capabilities and can land at unprepared sand runways with a clearance of 3,000 feet and even when carrying its full load of 74 tonnes. The aircraft’s real use will be for carrying heavy equipment like tanks or choppers. The aircraft has an endurance of 4,500 km, hence allowing India to dominate its area of interest from the straits of Malacca to its east to the Persian Gulf to its west.

Around 250 C-17 are in service worldwide. When the US launched its offensive in Afghanistan in 2001, the plane was used to ferry supplies, vehicles and equipment. Most of these are with the US Air Force with small number of aircraft delivered to Australia, Canada, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the 12-member strategic airlift capability initiative of NATO. India, by placing the order, has become the largest C-17 foreign operator.

THE GLOBEMASTER-III

Each of these planes will have a carrying capacity of 74 tonnes, that is more than double the capacity of the IAF’s existing heavy-lift aircraft, the Soviet-origin IL-76
At present, the IAF has 12 IL-76 which are largely used to ferry supplies to Jammu and Kashmir from Chandigarh
The medium-lift requirements are met by the fleet of 100-odd AN-32 planes purchased from the Soviet Union 30 years ago
The C-17 will play a crucial role in any force projection along the 4057-km-long frontier with China


http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130610/main5.htm

Wrong. IL 76 has payload capacity of 40 tons