Boeing has delivered the first of
four C-17 Globemaster IIIs to the Canadian Forces during a
ceremony, this week, at the company's Long Beach, Calif.,
C-17 manufacturing facility.
"Boeing again has made good on our commitment to provide
world-class airlift capability to our customer in world-record
time," said Dave Bowman, C-17 program vice president, before senior
Canadian officials and more than 1,000 C-17 employees. "This is yet
another great day for Boeing and demonstrates our ability to
design, build, deliver and support the world's most advanced
airlifter."
The Canadian government recently reactivated its 429 Transport
Squadron, based at 8 Wing/Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ontario, to
operate the C-17 fleet. The squadron, which dates back to World War
II, also will be responsible for day-to-day aircraft
maintenance.
"The test flights are over, our flight crews are trained, the
Maple Leaf is painted on the fuselage of Canada One, and the first
of our four C-17s is ready to come home," said Dan Ross, Canada's
Assistant Deputy Minister for Materiel. "Today's delivery ceremony
marks a new stage in Canada's ability to provide strategic airlift
and support of our military, humanitarian operations and, most
specifically, to Afghanistan."
The Canadian C-17 has unique markings, differentiating it from
U.S. Air Force C-17s previously delivered by Boeing. Those markings
include the word "Canada" above the entry door, small and large
Canadian flags on the fuselage and tail, respectively, and a
Canadian maple leaf on the aft part of the fuselage. The jet also
displays the Canadian Forces' signature, "Canadian
Forces¦Forces Canadiennes." The signature appears in both
English and French to honor the country's bilingual heritage.
Canada becomes the third international C-17 customer, following
the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and the Royal Australian Air
Force. Canada's first C-17 will arrive at its home base in Trenton
on Aug. 12, after a brief stop at the Abbotsford International Air
Show near Vancouver, British Columbia on Aug. 11. Boeing will
deliver the second Canadian C-17 in October and the final two
aircraft in 2008.
The C-17 is the world's only tactical airlift aircraft with
strategic capabilities. Capable of flying between continents and
landing on short, austere runways, the C-17 is used worldwide for
both military and humanitarian missions.