Article Posted on : - Mar 20, 2012

A Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster. Photo: Australian MoD

SYDNEY (BNS): Australia will purchase a sixth C-17A Globemaster III heavy-lift aircraft,  Defence Minister Stephen Smith has said.

The aircraft will be purchased through the United States Foreign Military Sales programme, at a total acquisition cost of around $280 million, the Defence Minister said in a joint statement with  Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare.

The purchase of the sixth C-17A will double the number of C-17A aircraft available for operations at any one time from two to four.

A sixth C-17 will give the Government increased options to support a wider range of contingencies that might require heavy-lift aircraft and will extend the life of the C-17 fleet by reducing the use of each aircraft, it said.

The aircraft is expected to arrive in Australia early next year.

The acquisition of the fifth C-17A was announced by the Government in March 2011 at a cost of around $260 million. It arrived in Australia in September 2011.

The C 17A aircraft can lift very large and heavy cargoes over long distances.