Article Posted on : - Jun 07, 2011

C-17 heavy-lift aircraft

NEW DELHI (PTI): The C-17 heavy-lift aircraft, 10 of which will be procured by India, will be "very useful" for the country's strategic lift requirement, Army Chief General V K Singh said Monday.

The procurement of the aircraft was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

"I think it is going to be a very useful equipment for all the strategic lift requirements," he said when asked how the aircraft would help the armed forces in the country.

On the advantages of the American-origin aircraft, the Army Chief said, "It is very useful due to the type of the lift capability it has and the type of runway requirement,".

The C-17 can lift 75 tonnes of load and can take off from short runways.