Aircraft

NATO has confirmed plans to base its future fleet of up to four Boeing C-17 strategic transports at Papa air base in Hungary, with partners to the collaborative initiative required to agree a memorandum of understanding in late November to advance the project.

Thirteen nations signed a letter of intent for the three- or four-aircraft NATO Strategic Airlift Capability acquisition in September 2006, and the alliance hopes to have funding approvals in place from the partners in advance of the April 2008 Bucharest Summit in Romania. NATO's first C-17 should be delivered by the end of next year.