CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR UPSC 2021

Massive evacuation planned from Gulf

#GS3 #Technlogy

Naval ships and IAF, AI planes readied

• The Union government is drawing up a major evacuation plan involving the Navy, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Air India to bring back Indians stranded in West Asia following the nationwide lockdown and travel restrictions due to COVID-19.
• The IAF has a fleet of US origin C-130 Hercules medium transporters and C-17 Globemaster heavy transport aircraft, in addition to older Russian IL-76 aircraft, which have been playing a major role in recent Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts.

Lockheed C-130 Hercules

• The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft.
• Designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). 
• C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft. 
• The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a gunship (AC-130), for airborne assault, search and rescue, scientific research support, weather reconnaissance, aerial refueling, maritime patrol, and aerial firefighting. 
• The C-130 entered service with the U.S. in 1956.
• The Hercules resembled a larger four-engine brother to the C-123 Provider with a similar wing and cargo ramp layout that evolved from the Chase XCG-20 Avitruc.
• Was first designed and flown as a cargo glider in 1947. 
• The ramp on the Hercules was also used to airdrop cargo, which included a Low-altitude parachute-extraction system and even dropping large improvised "daisy cutter" bombs. 
• The new Lockheed cargo plane design possessed a range of 1,100 nmi (1,270 mi; 2,040 km)
• Ttakeoff capability from short and unprepared strips, and the ability to fly with one engine shut down.

C-17 Globemaster

• The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. 
• It was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. 
• The C-17 carries forward the name of two previous piston-engined military cargo aircraft.
• The Douglas C-74 Globemaster and the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. 
• The C-17 commonly performs tactical and strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world; additional roles include medical evacuation and airdrop duties. 
• The C-17 Globemaster III is a strategic transport aircraft.
• It has a length of 174 feet (53 m) and a wingspan of 169 feet 10 inches (51.77 m). 
• The C-17 is powered by four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines, which are based on the commercial Pratt and Whitney PW2040 used on the Boeing 757. 
• Each engine is rated at 40,400 lbf (180 kN) of thrust.