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Progress in Bringing C-17 to Pápa Air Base |
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 "On March 13, the U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing marked a key milestone at its C-17 final assembly facility in Long Beach, California, holding a "major join" ceremony for the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) consortium's first C-17 Globemaster III. During major join, the C-17 airlifter's four major sections - the forward, center and aft fuselages and wing assembly - are integrated, and the aircraft begins to look like a C-17 for the first time.Hundreds of C-17 employees looked on as senior members of SAC and representatives of the government of Hungary, NATO and Boeing drove ceremonial rivets into the aircraft's fuselage.
Hungarian Minister of Defense, Imre Szekeres played a special symbolic role in the ceremony, since Hungary has agreed both to host the Heavy Airlift Wing at the Pápa Air Base, where a total of three C-17s will be based, and to register the aircraft under the Hungarian flag.
"SAC is a great example to see that cooperation and mutual finance strengthen capabilities and efficiency both within NATO and two EU countries outside of NATO. It is a model for future cooperation," said Minister Szekeres.
The C-17's first flight is set for June, with delivery to Pápa tentatively scheduled for July." Source: U.S. Embassy Hungary
23.03.2009
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