Strategic Airlift Capability Moves to New Offices

When the SAC program was established in 2008, the 12 member nations committed themselves, for a minimum of 30 years, to the sustainment and development of the C–17 based capability. For this reason, they deemed it necessary to launch a jointly financed construction project in 2013, to build a new and independent hangar complex at Pápa Air Base. The project comprises a C–17 size aircraft maintenance hangar, maintenance facilities, a central utility building, a warehouse and an office building. Its budget totals at HUF 9.5 billion, which is shared by the 12 nations in proportion to their declared flight hours.

On 24 May the construction reached a milestone with the completion and opening of the office building, the warehouse/maintenance facility and the central utility building. Although the new hangar building itself is to be finished later this year, the SAC personnel have already occupied a number of buildings and facilities, and installed the equipment in these workspaces. Thus, for example, the new air traffic control tower is already up and running, with its staff on active duty.

One of the greatest benefits of the investment is that after the opening of the maintenance hangar that is expected to be completed by November, all major overhauls of the C–17 can be carried out in Hungary that could hitherto be executed only after flying them to the United States of America.

Photo: Veronika Dévényi