Boeing Agrees to Provide C-17 Training for Next Generation of Royal Air Force Crews and Engineers for $348M

Boeing on Thursday said it will continue training Royal Air Force (RAF) C-17 aircrew and engineers at the C-17 International Training Centre (ITC) in Farnborough, delivering a technology-enabled program under a new Synthetic Training Service (STS) contract through 2040.

“This £247 million ($348 million) investment will allow our air crews to operate this aircraft to its highest capability and maintain critical defence outputs and will extend our use of modern synthetic training techniques,” said Minister for Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin MP.

The training program will apply a combination of digitally based training, advanced aircraft simulation and desktop training devices to advance the expertise of pilots, loadmasters and engineers who operate and maintain the C-17. The STS contract also includes development of two new engineering training devices that employ the latest technology for practical maintenance training on a C-17 wing engine and the main landing gear assembly.

Since 2014, Boeing has provided aircrew and engineering training support for the RAF’s C-17 Globemaster III fleet, which first arrived in the UK in 2001. The C-17 can carry equipment, supplies and troops directly to airfields in harsh terrain anywhere in the world, day or night, as well as supporting humanitarian operations. Today the RAF is one of nine global operators.

The ITC is home to a C-17 full flight training simulator, a fixed-base maintenance procedure trainer and a loadmaster station. These devices, related courseware and support equipment, along with a group of 20 Boeing instructors and support staff, provide instruction on in-flight and ground operations checks, emergency procedures and C-17 avionic and mechanical systems. Along with the RAF, C-17 operators from defense forces around the world engage in training sessions with the Boeing team in Farnborough.