Boeing, Qatar Sign C-17 Transport Aircraft Contract
A contract was signed between US firm Boeing and Qatar on the 21st July for the supply of C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft.
No information, however, was provided as to the number of airlifters set to be supplied, nor on the contract value.
According to Boeing, Qatar’s purchase will give the nation’s military “new strategic-airlift mobility capabilities.”
C-17 deliveries to Qatar are set to commence in summer next year, it added.
"Boeing is pleased that Qatar joins its international partners - the US Air Force, the UK Royal Air Force, Canadian Forces and the Royal Australian Air Force - in selecting the C-17, the world's leading airlifter, to modernize its defense forces' airlift fleet", Boeing Global Mobility Systems General Manager/ Vice President Jean Chamberlin stated.
C-17s in Military Service
To date, Boeing has supplied the USAF with 171 C-17s, with 19 more on order. The Royal Air Force has six while, Canada and Australia, four apiece.
The C-17 is capable of accommodating loads up to 75 tonnes in weight. It is also able to operate from rough airstrips, meaning it can be used in a variety of operations.
The type first flew in 1991 and, operationally, has been deployed both to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Qatar Air Force
The Qatar air force operates a limited number of aircraft, including a fleet of transporters such as the older Boeing 707 and newer Airbus A-340.
At the front end are a number of French-built Mirage 2000-5 combat jets.
Source – Armed Forces International’s Aviation Expert
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