The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence has renewed its partnership with Boeing Defence UK for another five years to maintain training for the crews and ground teams of the C-17 Globemaster aircraft fleet.
The contract is part of a broader agreement signed in 2021, which runs until 2040 and involves a total investment of approximately US$364 million, while also securing 30 specialized jobs in Farnborough.
Training activities will continue to take place at the Farnborough facilities, where the simulators and instruction centers used to train military personnel responsible for operating the C-17 are located. The British government considers it essential to retain this infrastructure and technical expertise in the country, ensuring that crews receive advanced and up-to-date training to carry out strategic missions.
British officials and Boeing representatives highlighted that the new agreement strengthens a long-standing partnership between the company, the Ministry of Defence, and the Royal Air Force (RAF). According to them, the continuation of the program ensures that pilots and maintenance teams remain prepared to operate one of the world’s leading military transport aircraft to high standards of safety and efficiency.
The announcement also marks 25 years of C-17 operations in the United Kingdom Armed Forces. Since entering service in 2001, the aircraft has played a central role in strategic transport missions, support for campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, the delivery of humanitarian aid to disaster-stricken regions, and the evacuation of British citizens from conflict zones, including the withdrawal from Kabul in 2021.
25 years ago, the first @RoyalAirForce C-17 was delivered.
Now, a new deal has been signed with @UKArmaments to train C-17 pilots.
Read more: https://t.co/9kjJfkGQXb
📸: Crown Copyright pic.twitter.com/5PDHkCcWQA— Boeing UK (@BoeingUK) July 23, 2026
+ Rolls-Royce advances development of engine for the United Kingdom’s sixth-generation fighter jet
Source: UK Defence Journal | Photo: X @BoeingUK | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
