Boeing C-17 Globemaster III in Australian service

The Royal Australian Air Force operates eight Boeing C-17 Globemaster III large transport aircraft. The aircraft entered service between November 2006 and January 2008, the second pair being delivered ahead of schedule. Two more Globemasters were ordered in 2011, the sixth being delivered to the RAAF in November 2012. All of the C- 17s are assigned to No. 36 Squadron and are based at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland. They have supported ADF operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations in the Middle East, as well as training exercises.

About Boeing C-17 Globemaster III in Australian service in brief

The Royal Australian Air Force operates eight Boeing C-17 Globemaster III large transport aircraft. The aircraft entered service between November 2006 and January 2008, the second pair being delivered ahead of schedule. Two more Globemasters were ordered in 2011, the sixth being delivered to the RAAF in November 2012. The final aircraft was delivered in November 2015. All of the C- 17s are assigned to No. 36 Squadron and are based at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland. They have supported ADF operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations in the Middle East, as well as training exercises in Australia and the United States. The Globemmasters are built to the same specifications as those operated by the U.S. Air Force, and the Australian aircraft are maintained through an international contract with Boeing. The C-18s are highly regarded throughout the Australian military for their ability to carry large amounts of cargo across long distances, and the process through which they were acquired has been identified as an example of good practice in defence procurement. The RAAF began considering options for heavy transport aircraft to provide a strategic airlift capability during the early 2000s. The Australian Government announced as part of an update to its national security strategy in December 2005 that it would consider acquiring heavy lift aircraft to supplement the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules transports. In March 2006, Minister for Defence Brendan Nelson announced that the government had decided to purchase three C-15s and take out an option for a fourth. The government exercised the option to purchase a fourth C-16 between the time this announcement was made and the signing of the final contract on 31 July 2006.

The total cost of the four aircraft was USD21 million, and Boeing also received an A$85 million contract to allow Australia to join the global C17 fleet. Additional funding was allocated to build headquarters and maintenance facilities at Amberley and upgrade the air movements and facilities at Bases Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Pearce, and Pearce Townsville. The Government did not have any planned funding for the long-term defence program, so the ADF did not need to go ahead with the purchase of the aircraft as a supplement to the USAF’s C17. The USAF provided some of the funding needed to purchase the C17s, meaning that they were delivered to RAAF and then transferred to the first RAAF squadron. The ADF has also transported supplies and personnel following natural disasters in Australia, Japan, New Zealand and several other countries. It has also been involved in relief efforts following natural disaster in Australia, Australia and New Zealand. The plane has been used to transport the increasingly large and heavy vehicles and other items of equipment used by the Australian Army. It was also used to move supplies and equipment from Australia to its forces in Afghanistan and the Mideast from 2001 to 2003. It is currently being used for training exercises and in support of the Australian Defence Force’s operations in the Pacific and South East Asia. It will also be used in the future to transport personnel and equipment in the aftermath of natural disasters.

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