NATO – Strategic Airlift Capability

There are several ongoing initiatives in NATO and the European Union to overcome shortcomings concerning strategic airlift capabilities. An outstanding effort is the proposal of involving NATO C-17 which would allow the stepup of capabilities almost immediately.

Under the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) programme, 13 NATO member states, as well as Sweden and Finland are to purchase and operate three U.S. strategic cargo aircraft of the model Boeing C-17 in the frame of a NATO consortium. The planes will be available to participant nations for a number of pre-agreed flying hours.

Hungary joined the programme in November 2006. Its role in the SAC programme is highlighted especially by the fact that the airport in Papa (Western Hungary) has been selected as the permanent base for the cargo airplanes, and thus the planes will be registered in Hungary. According to the programme’s implementation plan, the first C-17s would arrive in Papa in the autumn of 2008.