First Indian C-17 Comes Together

[Water Car Engineer]

The first Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, which came together in a 'major join' ceremony today at Longbeach, California, will make its first flight in December this year. Was a fun event -- Indian Embassy, senior Indian Air Force and local politicians noisily drove ceremonial rivets into the aircraft to consecrate the 'major join' milestone.

Ambassador N. Parthasarathi, Consul General of India, San Francisco said, “This momentous occasion, where we see India’s first C-17 take shape, further strengthens our growing relationship. As India strives to become a global reservoir of highly skilled and technologically sophisticated manpower, we will witness an escalating technology transfer, collaborative joint research and development, and co-production of defense items between our two countries.”

The guy I enjoyed listening to more was Congressman Dana Rohrabacher who subjected Pakistan to a tonguelashing, saying the Indian C-17 deal represented a step towards a joint fight against 'radical Islam' and Pakistan's support of it (I've got his brief speech on video, and will upload it shortly). It stirred things up a bit in what was otherwise a light, formal affair , also attended by India's Air Attache Air Commodore Sanjay Nimesh.

The first of the ten Indian C-17s will be delivered to India in May-June 2013. All ten aircraft will be delivered by the end of 2014 and will be based out of Hindan Air Force Station on Delhi's outskirts. The C-17 contract, worth $4.116-billion, does not have a formal options clause, though the IAF is contemplating contracting for 6-10 more aircraft once deliveries begin next year. For Boeing's only big military airplane facility, it's a precarious situation. The C-17 line will proceed to shut down by the end of 2014, which gives the IAF a fairly brief window to decide on follow-on orders. The IAF C-17 factors only a few small changes to the one being supplied to the USAF -- these, presumably, are communications and CISMOA-protected equipment.

A batch of 20 IAF pilots and 10 loadmasters are currently undergoing contractual training at Altus, Oklahoma with the USAF.

Livefist: First Indian C-17 Comes Together

 

[laman12345]

Money buys friendship

 

[Fazlu]

Money buys friendship

Yes. And in addition--there are good investments and bad investments.

You should know.

 

[acetophenol]

Who the fu'ck brought these babus to these places? These babus make immature comments on pakistan and islam enough to spread and bring in hatred

 

[airmarshal]

That Congressman is a real idiot. No place for Pakistan bashing here but he still gets his tongue wagging. How can you fight 'Islamic extremism' with a transport aircraft?

 

[Imran Khan]

Who the fu'ck brought these babus to these places? These babus make immature comments on pakistan and islam enough to spread and bring in hatred

ya habibi its including in package of c-17 deal . today they transferred 1.1bn$ to Pakistani account

 

[Fazlu]

Who the fu'ck brought these babus to these places? These babus make immature comments on pakistan and islam enough to spread and bring in hatred

Their babu. Not ours.

Dana Rorabacher--US Congressman.

 

[acetophenol]

Their babu. Not ours.

Dana Rorabacher--US Congressman.

I knew that. A babu is always a babu no matter where.

ya habibi its including in package of c-17 deal . today they transferred 1.1bn$ to Pakistani account

They could've recorded it in a CD and gave it with the plane!

 

[xyxmt]

Their babu. Not ours.

Dana Rorabacher--US Congressman.

but she knows how to make indians happy, more indian voters for her and maybe more business for US

 

[Shinigami]

but she knows how to make indians happy, more indian voters for her and maybe more business for US

Or...

She is really pissed with pakistan due to its support of terrorism

 

[Roybot]

but she knows how to make indians happy, more indian voters for her and maybe more business for US

Its a he btw.

 

[Major Shaitan Singh]

 

[third eye]

I knew that. A babu is always a babu no matter where.

A Congressman is not a bureaucrat - he is an elected representative like an MP.

 

[Bl[i]tZ]

acetophenol, a congressman is a neta not babu.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Who the fu'ck brought these babus to these places? These babus make immature comments on pakistan and islam enough to spread and bring in hatred

Local politics mate They can survive only by making such comments !!