IAF transport workhorse flies 43 tonnes of medical aid to Central Africa

An Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 Globemaster III aircraft has delivered 43 tonnes of medical supplies to Uganda to support Central Africa’s fight against an Ebola outbreak.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the aid package will assist the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). “India has dispatched the second tranche of medical assistance to Africa CDC, comprising protective gear, diagnostic & monitoring equipment, medicines, and supplements,” said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on X.

“Confident that this 43 tons consignment will further strengthen public health preparedness and bolster Ebola response capacities across Africa,” he said.

“We thank the Government and people of India for their solidarity with Africa,” said Africa CDC on X. The supplies were delivered through Africa CDC’s Eastern Regional Coordinating Centre in Uganda and mobilised to support response efforts in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it said.

This airlift follows an initial segment of 2.5 tonnes of urgent medical supplies and protective kits dispatched by India on May 24. The emergency medical assistance is a response to the worsening Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the DRC, with supplies being coordinated through Uganda to contain the virus and support affected communities.

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is the IAF’s mainstay in heavy tactical airlift and disaster relief, deployed in high-stakes operations globally. India used the aircraft to bring its nationals home from war-ravaged Ukraine and Sudan. It was deployed for Operation Dost to assist Turkey in the 2023 earthquake and Operation Ajay to repatriate Indian nationals from Israel.

It is an American-made four-engine military transport aircraft with a maximum payload capacity of 74,797 kilograms. It is designed to deliver outsized cargo, combat vehicles and troops directly to airfields worldwide.

The IAF operates a fleet of C-17 aircraft, after the US Air Force’s fleet of more than 200. The C-17 is also flown by the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the multinational Strategic Airlift Capability in Hungary.

Other heavy lift transport aircraft operated by the IAF include the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, Ilyushin Il-76, Antonov An-32, Airbus C-295, and the Dornier Do-228.