Britain’s C-17 Fleet Grows to Seven

Britain’s Royal Air Force has taken delivery of its seventh C-17 transport from manufacturer Boeing, the company announced. This is the last C-17 that the RAF has ordered at this time. “The addition of a seventh C-17 to our fleet is a significant milestone that strengthens our support of operations worldwide, especially in Afghanistan,” said Peter Luff, British minister for defense equipment. The handover took place Tuesday at Boeing’s assembly facility in Long Beach, Calif. Britain ordered this aircraft last December. The new C-17, like the RAF’s others, will operate out of RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England. The RAF’s C-17 fleet has already logged more than 60,000 flight hours. In May 2011, the RAF will mark the 10th anniversary of receiving its first C-17. With this airframe, Boeing has now delivered 224 C-17s worldwide, including 204 to the US Air Force.