An emerging shortage of airlift capacity that threatened the ability of the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) to sustain its airbridge to supply UK troops in Afghanistan was the impetus behind the purchase of an additional Boeing C-17 Globe-master III transport aircraft earlier this month. The purchase of an eighth C-17 for the RAF for delivery by this July followed what a UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson called a stock-take" early in 2011. The need for additional airlift capability was deemed so pressing it had to be rapidly addressed, even though the October 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review had specifically stated that seven C-17s would be sufficient to meet UK requirements.
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