Boeing C-17 Globemaster III joins the IAF

July 31 


Boeing integrated the forward, center and aft fuselages with the wing assembly of India's first C-17 Globemaster III during a "major join" ceremony in Long Beach, Calif. Indian embassy and senior Indian Air Force representatives, along with local elected officials, drove ceremonial rivets into the aircraft as they celebrated the achievement of this milestone.



The Indian Air Force's latest acquisition American strategic C-17 Globemaster-III made its maiden flight to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Sunday. Climbing an altitude of 28,000 feet with an unrefueled range of 2,400 nautical miles, the aircraft landed at Port Blair to induct the rotational Infantry Battalion into the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Two more C-17 aircraft will be brought in within weeks. The aircraft are part of a fleet of 10 aircraft that are on order from Boeing. The C-17 will boost the IAF's long haul capability and will gradually replace the Russian Il-76.

The C-17 Globemaster-III is a heavy-lift transport military aircraft, developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). India has become the largest customer, of the aircraft, after the United States.

MID SEA REFUELING

WE KNOW MID AIR REFUELLING , BUT DO WE KNOW MID SEA REFUELLING ?



Most of us know how mid air refueling is done . But has anyone wondered how do huge ships sailing in



the sea get their fuel from , or how they refuel their tanks .



Majority of the ships cant waste time being at the harbor and refueling . Especially during wars , War



ships cant afford to come back to port or harbor to refuel .



In this case , The war ships usually have a tanker ship or replenishment ship which is an auxillary ship



which carries large amount of fuel .This is also a main factor of determining the strength of a country’s



navy .



Most of the merchant ships refuel in the open sea . Sea have submerged pipelines and the merchant



ships get easily refueled by connecting to the pipelines . This reduces the time to harbor the ship , port



cost and many more ….



The major disadvantage of fuelling in the sea leads to the pollution and Is very hazardous to the marine



life . The number of pipelines under the sea are increasing at such a pace that in a few years the



pipelines will be running over each other .



S MD AQTHAR