RAF C5 Galaxys cancelled in 1970

[uk 75]

Some of you may have seen my reference to the 1970 Observers Book of Aircraft commenting that "a small number of C5s expected to be ordered for the RAF". I have now found my cutting from the 1970 Air Pictorial covering the new Conservative Government's first Defence White Paper later than year. The article mentions that Lord Carrington, the new Defence Secretary, confirmed that in order to save money an option to lease some 5-6 C5 Galaxy would not be taken up. Air Pictorial adds that a Labour Government would also have not taken up the option.
So the RAF had to wait over 25 years for a Labour Government to lease a small number of C17s.

A model of the C5 in RAF Transport Command colours was made for Lockheed by the Dutch firm IMC but I have no photograph.

 

[JFC Fuller]

So the RAF had to wait over 25 years for a Labour Government to lease a small number of C17s.

The C17 is not really related to the C5 or events of the 1970s. The following disappeared from Transport Command without replacement in 1974-6 following the 1974 Defence White Paper:

216 Squadron (1975): De Havilland Comet C.4C
99 Squadron (1976): Bristol Britannia C.1/C.2
511 Squadron (1976): Bristol Britannia C.1/C.2
53 Squadron (1976): Short Belfast C.1

This left Transport Command with a single "strategic" squadron, that being No.10 with the Vickers VC.10 C.1. There were also 6 C-130K squadrons in the tactical role. That suggests that any lease of the C-5 would have not lasted any longer than 3-4 years. Also, the C-17 was leased due to delays in the Future Large Aircraft (to be A400M) programme rather than to fulfil any particular unfulfilled requirement resulting from not acquiring the C5 galaxy through lease or purchase 25 years earlier.