Fórum Defesa Brasil

Boeing has finalised a contract to sell 10 C-17 airlifters to the India Air Force, but a key decision looms for the future of the strategic airlifter.

The $1.78 billion contract awarded to Boeing on 2 February completes a three-year negotiation process, but it was not immediately clear if it was the full amount. During US President Barack Obama's visit to India in late 2010, the White House said the value of the 10 aircraft deal was $4.1 billion.

The C-17 is generally priced at around $250 million per aircraft, including four Pratt & Whitney F117 engines.

The US Air Force has stopped buying C-17s after ordering 223 aircraft, with the final 10 added by Congess in the fiscal 2010 budget and ordered only recently.



© Boeing

As the C-17 programme came to rely on foreign orders, Boeing reduced the production rate to 10 aircraft per year without increasing the unit price.

The company is still marketing the aircraft to new countries. The C-17, for example, made an appearance at the Seoul air show in October. Existing customers, such as the Royal Australian Air Force, have also expressed interest in buying more C-17s.

However, Boeing must decide by May whether to order a new batch of long-lead parts, or begin the slow process of shutting down the C-17's supply chain.

The parts will be purchased by Boeing, with no guarantee that new orders will be placed.

Senator Claire McCaskill, meanwhile, has asked the US Federal Aviation Administration to accelerate the process of certifying a civilan version, reviving the BC-17 concept previously rejected by the commercial freighter industry.

thelmo rodrigues escreveu:Será que teremos algo concreto nessa visita????

Hader escreveu:Existem dois produtos da Boeing que gostaria de ver no Brasil: o C-17 e o CH-47. Ambos seriam importantes para a mobilidade das forças de reação rápida e expedicionárias.

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Carlos Lima escreveu:Olha que interessante...

A Boeing levando os C-17 dela...

gral escreveu:

Carlos Lima escreveu:Olha que interessante...

A Boeing levando os C-17 dela...

Eu acabei de ler um artigo falando sobre os motivos da aquisição do Rafale pelos indianos, e no artigo o autor diz que aparentemente as autoridades indianas não estão dispostos a comprar nada de aeronaves de combate e mísseis dos EUA; essas continuarão sendo adquiridas dos franceses e russos. A parte de "suporte"(aeronaves de transporte, patrulha, treinamento, etc) pode ser comprada dos EUA, mas os indianos não confiam nos EUA para fornecer a "ponta de lança" da força aérea deles.

Carlos Mathias escreveu:Dizem que CH-47 e C-17 são caros, muito caros.
Há material similar mais barato no mercado.