Feature: Strategic Airlift Capability shows potential for multilateral defence co-operation

A C-17 of the multilateral SAC Heavy Airlift Wing takes off from the SAC's centre of operations at Pápa Air Base in Hungary. (SAC)

While tactical airlift remains accessible to some countries through aircraft such as the Leonardo C-27J Spartan and Airbus C-295M, strategic airlift is more expensive and resource-intensive. For a group of European countries the answer was to partner in the purchase, organisation, and operation of a shared fleet, which became the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC).

Many smaller countries are now able to purchase small tactical airlift fleets, perhaps just two or three, of these aircraft and conduct their own airlift operations. Independent strategic airlift fleets, however, remain the reserve of a select group of countries. The United Kingdom is the only country in Europe able to field a fleet of heavy airlifters with eight Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs.

There are several European states that had the financial means to procure their own C-17s (when still in production – the final aircraft left Boeing's Long Beach facility on 29 November 2015) though elected not to. France and Germany instead chose to invest in the Airbus A400M, though the former reportedly approached Boeing for pricing options following A400M development delays. Other countries required, and continue to require, strategic airlift occasionally and so launching an expensive procurement process for a limited-use platform made little economic sense.

Shared fleet

Co-operating in running a shared strategic airlift programme would require unity and interoperability, with clear operating guidelines that all partners agree on. There were two international governmental organisations that would seem obvious choices to lead such a project: the European Union (EU) and NATO. In reality, while NATO would go on to have a key role, it does not own the capability.