Boeing to shut down C-17 production

[Strike]

... and it makes sense,

Right.  When does anything we ever do get done because "it makes sense"?

 

[big bad john]

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.16742938.1131572689.Q3Jt0cOa9dUAAHzOZ4o&modele=jdc_34

Sen. Talent Keeps C-17 Line Open, Secures Ten Additional Planes in Defense Bill
 
 
(Source: Senator Jim Talent; issued Sept. 21, 2006)
 
 
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. --- U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced that he has secured funding for 10 additional C-17s, totaling $2.1 billion, extending the production line of the aircraft. Sen. Talent’s request, in addition to the eight planes requested by the President, is included in the Senate-House Defense Appropriations Conference Report for FY2007. Sen. Talent said that the bill will bring the Air Force inventory to 191, and foreign sales will bring total production to nearly 205. The new C-17s will be bought as "attrition" aircraft to replace older transports that have been over flown. 

"This is a huge victory for our military, our nation and Missouri," said Sen. Talent, Chairman of the Seapower Subcommittee, which oversees the C-17 program. "There are few systems more important to our armed forces than this aircraft. The C-17 is the transport of choice, able to carry troops, vehicles and supplies to any point on the globe making its reliability and versatility unmatched. The purchase of these additional C-17s provides needed aircraft to our military and will keep the line open for our highly skilled workers in Missouri." 

"I want to thank Senator Jim Talent for his strong leadership on moving the C-17 Globemaster III program forward," said Jim Albaugh, President and CEO of Integrated Defense Systems of Boeing Company. "Jim pulled together a broad bipartisan coalition in the Senate to make this happen. As a result of the Senator’s leadership, Congress will authorize funding for 10 additional C-17s which will extend the production of this remarkable aircraft. The several thousand workers in Missouri, and the 30,000 highly skilled workers across the country, who build the C-17 every day, owe Senator Talent their thanks." 

"On behalf of California, I want to thank Senator Talent for his strong leadership in pulling together a broad bipartisan coalition of his colleagues in Washington, D.C. to save this incredible aircraft," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "I have been a long supporter of the C-17 aircraft and I have visited the production plant in Long Beach. Today I am pleased to learn that our Congressional leaders also see the importance of this vital resource for our armed services as they continue their fight against the enemies of democracy." 

Earlier this year, Sen. Talent secured $227.5 million for the purchase of an additional C-17 aircraft in the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act. In addition, Sen. Talent also worked on a bipartisan basis with U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) to authorize 42 new C-17s and assess the need for additional lift aircraft. 

-ends- 

 

[geo]

"I want to thank Senator Jim Talent for his strong leadership on moving the C-17 Globemaster III program forward," said Jim Albaugh, President and CEO of Integrated Defense Systems of Boeing Company. "Jim pulled together a broad bipartisan coalition in the Senate to make this happen. As a result of the Senator’s leadership, Congress will authorize funding for 10 additional C-17s which will extend the production of this remarkable aircraft. The several thousand workers in Missouri, and the 30,000 highly skilled workers across the country, who build the C-17 every day, owe Senator Talent their thanks." 

While the C17 is a great aircraft..... I wonder what "riders" were attached to the bill for the swift passage of this bill.

 

[gaspasser]

" Build it and they will come". They will come here to Trenton.  We have the ramp space and runway length to handle the big birds.  Plus everything already comes and goes out of here. (yippee)There's always more room on the ramp for another biggie, expecially as we're getting rid of some of the Hercs (rumours abound).  And we can stop renting Antanovs and Illusions from former soviet countries. Keep our gas in our planes.  Our techs should be able to do most of the front line work, a wire is a wire...right?  The Air Force has plans to make improvements to the aerodrome by  "moving" a few buildings around, and adding onto exsisting hangers to accomadate the C-17's.
But I'll be outta here by then.
;D

 

[geo]

gaspasser.... getting rid of some Hercs?.... we're buying & replacing, aren't we?

 

[GAP]

While it's nice to hear the line is going to stay open a little longer, Senator Trenton has a vested interest in the production staying ongoing, as in employment in the riding.

 

[geo]

yeah - per my post 22, one senator's priority is not necessarily another's.
Nasty little thing in the US called "riders" - they may pass appropriations for a boondogle on the back of a worthy cause.........

 

[aesop081]

yeah - per my post 22, one senator's priority is not necessarily another's.
Nasty little thing in the US called "riders" - they may pass appropriations for a boondogle on the back of a worthy cause.........

They usualy tack on a pay raise for themselves as an amendment......haha

 

[gaspasser]

gaspasser.... getting rid of some Hercs?.... we're buying & replacing, aren't we?

Roger, roger, I stand corrected.  But the fact remains, we're getting new airplanes.   
End  rumour. Out

 

[ringo]

IIRC 4 of are newer C-130's are tankers, the newest pair of herc's are lengthened versions, are these to remain in service after new herc's and c-17's are delivered?
With the current rate of hours US c-17's are flying I expect further US orders in the future, RAF RAAF CAF and NATO may all order additional aircraft, although in small quantities.

 

[big bad john]

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2006/09/c17-adds-orders-on-talent-not-luck/index.php

C-17 Adds Orders on Talent, Not Luck
Posted 27-Sep-2006 11:50
Related stories: Americas - USA, Boeing, Budgets, Issues - Political, Lobbying, Transport & Utility
Also on this day: 27-Sep-2006 »

Still going...
(click to view full)DID has offered a lot of C-17 coverage recently, including the Lexington Institute's scathing characterization of the impending production line shutdown as "The Dumbest Weapons Decision of the Decade" as well as international orders by NATO (13-nation pool), Australia, Britain, and Canada. Past coverage has also included the Talent-Lieberman bill, which passed in the Senate as part of Congressional efforts to keep C-17 production alive and fund a larger fleet than the reduced figure of 180 aircraft that the Pentagon was willing to settle for. Now Senator Talent [R-MO] announced that he has secured funding for a total of 10 more C-17s in the Senate-House Defense Appropriations Conference Report for FY 2007. This $2.1 billion addition will be popular back home, as the C-17 supply chain and production lines include several thousand workers in Missouri. See Sen. Talent's release.

The Pentagon was going to request 8 planes to finish up production, and initial talk was for another 3 to provide extra replacements given the fleet's accelerated wear. This new bill adds 7 more planes to make 18, bringing the US fleet to 191 (Sen. Talent also secured $227.5 million for the purchase of an additional C-17 aircraft in the 2006 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act). Foreign production (4 Australia, 5 Britain, 4 Canada, 4 NATO) will bring the lifetime production total to about 208, though there aren't all that many more foreign customer expected. With new orders set at 32 more planes (1+8+10+4+1+4+4), the Long Beach, CA plant has just over 2 more years of production left before its closure. This stretches its shut-down date from mid-2008 to early 2009.

 

[geo]

then they can commence refurbishing the older ones.............. cause at the rate they are currently using the planes, the C17s are tired puppies.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Anyone still for the A-400M?

Aviation Week and Space Technology (Sept. 18) update: more reasons why Canada was right not to consider this yet-to-fly plane seriously as a CC-130 replacement or as an alternative to the C-17 (text subscriber only).

Besides the A380, [BAE Systems CEO]Turner harbors concerns over at least one other Airbus development. He identifies the A400M military airlifter as a cause for worry. Senior Airbus officials deny there's any delay on the program. A first flight is scheduled for early 2008, with deliveries to begin in the second half of 2009...

And it is interesting that NATO is considering buying C-17s--above post too
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/49093/post-452215.html#msg452215

Note A-400M bit (text subscriber only):

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization hopes to sort out the purchase details for its fleet of 3-4 Boeing C-17s by early November, with the goal of fielding the first of the aircraft next year to help alleviate chronic shortages in strategic lift...

...the C-17s will be owned by the alliance--only the second aircraft after the E-3 AWACS fleet to be acquired in that way. Arrangements call for an initial order of three aircraft, with the fourth carried as an option. How long the option will run is under negotiation with Boeing, and will largely be driven by the looming production line shutdown in 2009. Boeing had already built the NATO order into its plans, so the commitment won't extend the line's life...

Officials for the European Airbus Military A400M consortium say they, too, are in talks with NATO to take some of the aircraft. However, NATO officials note that's still a long way off, given the A400M is years from being fielded [my emphasis].

For Boeing, still pending is the firm commitment from Sweden [my emphasis] to take two C-17s the aircraft maker is banking on as part of its provision for building 18 more aircraft beyond the 184 in the basic production plan (180 go to the U.S. and four to the U.K.). Of those 18, four will go to Canada and Australia each, one more to the U.K., three more to the U.S. from a Congressional add-on and four to NATO as the transports. Boeing officials continue to argue for a larger U.S. fleet, holding onto a sliver of hope the line may remain open beyond 2009.

Mark
Ottawa

 

[geo]

Markl....
A400s are to CC130s
C17s have no equal in the airvbus arsenal.

With respect to the A400s, a plane on the drawing board does not an AIRplane make

 

[Loachman]

RAAUZYUW RCCLHAV6073 2851928-UUUU--RCCBMUA.
ZNR UUUUU ZOC
RXFKVA T E3A COMPONENT CCNAEWF GEILENKIRCHEN
RXFKBA T CFSU E DET RAMSTEIN
RXCAFDA T SACT HC 02
R 110812Z OCT 06
FM NDHQ CAS OTTAWA//CAS//
TO CANAIRGEN
INFO ZEN/NDHQ VCDS OTTAWA//VCDS//
ZEN/NDHQ ADM MAT OTTAWA//ADM MAT/DGMPD/DGAEPM/AETE//
ZEN/NDHQ ADM FIN CS OTTAWA//ADM FIN CS//
ZEN/NDHQ CLS OTTAWA//CLS//
ZEN/NDHQ CMS OTTAWA//CMS//
ZEN/NDHQ SJS OTTAWA//SJS DOS//
ZEN/CEFCOM HQ OTTAWA//COMD//
ZEN/CANADA COM HQ OTTAWA//COMD//
ZEN/CANOSCOM HQ OTTAWA//COMD//
ZEN/CANSOFCOM HQ OTTAWA//COMD//
ZEN/NDHQ ADM IE OTTAWA//ADM IE//
BT
UNCLAS CANAIRGEN 025/06 CAS 041
SIC KAN
CANAIRGEN 025/06 CAS 041
BILINGUAL MESSAGE/MESSAGE BILINGUE
SUBJ: DESIGNATION OF C-17 MAIN OPERATING BASE (MOB)



PAGE 2 RCCLHAV6073 UNCLAS CANAIRGEN 025/06
REF: CANAIRGEN 024 CAS 039 071735Z SEP 06
1. ON 22 JUN 06, TB APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF FOUR AIRCRAFT TO
ADDRESS CANADA S STRATEGIC AIRLIFT CAPABILITY SHORTFALL. AN
EVALUATION BY ADM(MAT) STAFF HAS RECENTLY CONFIRMED THAT ONLY THE
BOEING C-17 MEETS THE CF S MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS. INITIAL
INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE FIRST AIRCRAFT COULD BE DELIVERED TO CANADA
AS SOON AS NEXT SUMMER
2. THE NEW FLEET WILL BE FLOWN BY CF AIRCREW AND MAINTAINED AT FIRST
LINE BY CF TECHNICIANS. AFTER ANALYSIS OF THE AVAILABLE OPTIONS, IT
HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT TRENTON WILL BE THE MOB FOR THE C-17
3. INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES TO 8 WING ARE REQUIRED TO SUPPORT THE NEW
CAPABILITY. AS THIS WILL NOT BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION
OF THE C-17 AIRCRAFT, INTERIM BASING REQUIREMENTS FOR BEDDOWN AND
HOME STATION CHECKS ARE BEING REVIEWED
4. THE C-17 REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT NEW CAPABILITY FOR THE CF.
TRAINING FOR INITIAL CREWS HAS ALREADY BEGUN, AND IT IS INTENDED TO
FIELD THIS CAPABILITY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. TO THIS END, A
WELL-COORDINATED EFFORT AT ALL LEVELS WILL BE REQUIRED TO ENSURE THE
EXPEDITIOUS INTRODUCTION TO SERVICE
END OF ENGLISH TEXT/DEBUT DU TEXTE FRANCAIS

 

[Cdn Blackshirt]

I take it that means it's a done deal....we're getting (4) new C-17's?


Matthew. 

 

[Loachman]

CAS certainly seems to think so.

 

[aesop081]

Call me crazy but i'll consider it a done deal when all 4 of them are parked on a CF airbase........

 

[Loachman]

Okay, you're crazy.

I'm told that training has already begun.

I appreciate your skepticism, as I come by my cynicism honestly too, and that is compounded by the unprecedented (during my "career") speed of acquisition, but it appears to be as done a deal as is possible.

 

[GO!!!]

Call me crazy but i'll consider it a done deal when all 4 of them are parked on a CF airbase........

+1

I'll believe it when I jump out of one.