The US Air Force has signed for $16.2 billion in multi-year contracts for 80 McDonnell Douglas (MDC) C-17 Globemaster III military-transport aircraft, powered by Pratt & Whitney F117 turbofan engines.
The C-17s and 350 F117s will be delivered over six or seven years. The USAF had previously committed to buying 40 Globemasters.
The latest C-17 award is the longest and largest multi-year deal into which the US Government has entered. P&W's portion - worth $1.7 billion - is the largest single military-engine production contract in its history.
Delivery of the F117 - the military version of the commercial PW2000 turbofan - will begin in 1997 and continue through to 2004, with production peaking at 60 powerplants a year.
MDC, which will receive $14.2 billion-worth of work, plans to increase production to a peak of 15 aircraft a year.
Source: Flight International
