SAC programme training shifts to UK

C-17 Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) programme aircrew are to be trained at Boeing’s International Training Centre (ITC) in the UK under an $8 million contract announced on 26 January.

SAC is comprised of ten NATO countries and two NATO Partnership for Peace countries.

The multinational aircrews will begin training at the UK facility this year. They were previously sent for training in the US.

The ITC houses a weapons systems trainer, loadmaster station and an integrated maintenance procedure trainer.

Larry Sisco, C-17 training program manager, said: ‘Boeing met the customer need to have access to affordable, high-quality training for aircrews from smaller countries with limited resources. Having regional training is a big cost and time savings for the SAC programme.

‘The US Air Force gave us their stamp of approval. They were thrilled with our simulator capability and how concurrent the simulators are with the C-17 aircraft.’

NATO’s Strategic Airlift Capability is managed by the NATO Airlift Management (NAM) Programme Office. NAM has ownership of and is responsible for acquiring, managing and supporting NATO’s Strategic Airlift Capability aircraft, including three Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifters, that member nations can call upon to fulfil national operational needs.