First Canadian C-17 delivered
August 9, 2007
News Photo
Canada’s new C-17 Globemaster III departs Long Beach, headed for Canada, on August 9th. (Boeing photo)
Boeing Public Affairs and Holly Bridges, Air Force Public Affairs
Canadian Forces representatives joined Boeing executives and more than 1,000 company employees yesterday for an historic ceremony at Boeing’s Long Beach, California C-17 final assembly facility during which Canada received its first-ever C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter. Today, Canada One lifted off from the tarmac at the Long Beach facility en route for its home in the “true North”.
The delivery of “Canada One” is the first of four C-17s that Boeing will deliver to Canada. We now join the United Kingdom and Australia as international countries that operate C-17s. A second Canadian C-17 is scheduled for delivery in October 2007, and the final two aircraft will be delivered in 2008.
A few days before, representatives from Boeing, the U.S. Government and the Canadian Forces signed a “DD250” – the document that officially confirms delivery of the first C-17 and that Canada officially accepts delivery. Lieutenant-Colonel Terry Wood from the C-17 Project Management Office at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa signed on behalf of Canada.
The DD250 signing signifies that “Canada accepts that the completed aircraft meets its performance specification and all quality standards,” said LCol Wood. “This signature will trigger final payment for the aircraft - in essence, we’ve just bought our first C-17.
“This is a great day for all Canadians,” he continued. “The C-17 provides us with a truly impressive and versatile capability to respond to domestic disasters and international humanitarian crises, and to support Task Force Afghanistan.”
