Possible C-17 sale to Australia costs $300M

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress yesterday of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia of a C-17 GLOBEMASTER III aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $300 million.

The Government of Australia has requested a possible sale of one C-17 GLOBEMASTER III aircraft, up to four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 engines, one AN/AAQ-24V(13) Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) System, spare and repair parts, supply and test equipment, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, United States Government and contractor engineering, logistics, and technical support services, and other related elements of logistics support.

This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives and facilitates burden sharing with our allies.

Australia currently has a heavy airlift capability comprised of four C-17As. This additional C-17 will further improve Australia’s capability to rapidly deploy in support of global coalition operations and will also greatly enhance its ability to lead regional humanitarian/peacekeeping operations such as its current response to the Queensland flooding, cyclone aftermath and the New Zealand Earthquake.

Australia has the ability to absorb and employ the additional C-17.

The C-17 fleet is based at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Amberley. RAAF Base Amberley is the primary base for airlift and tanker aircraft and is currently undergoing the infrastructure upgrades required to support the C-17 and other large aircraft Australia already received or is under contract to purchase.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.

- dsca.mil

Successful Engine Runs for Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental

On Mar. 9, Boeing has successfully completed the first engine runs for the 747-8 Intercontinental. The milestone marks a key step in preparing Boeing’s largest-ever passenger jet for flight test.

Elizabeth Lund, vice president and deputy program manager of the 747 program, said, “The integrated airplane systems and engines performed as expected,” adding, “This result allows us to continue moving forward to first flight.”

Engine runs began at 11:57 a.m. (PST) Tuesday and lasted approximately two hours and 45 minutes. During initial engine runs, the engines are started and operated at various power settings to ensure all systems perform as expected. The engine run test began with the Auxiliary Power System providing power to start the first of four GE GEnx-2B engines. The remaining three engines were started using the cross-bleed function.

Basic systems checks continued throughout the test. The engines were powered down and inspected and will be restarted following a technical review. The team completed a vibration check and monitored the shutdown logic to ensure it functioned as expected.

The GEnx-2B engine is optimized for the 747-8. The new engine contributes to a reduction in fuel burn, emissions and noise, which gives customers the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large passenger airplane while providing enhanced environmental performance.

 

- asdnews.com