Dipping a Toe into Antarctic Airspace

The Royal Australian Air Force recently flew a C-17 Globemaster III on an experimental resupply flight to Antarctica for the first time, RAAF officials announced. “Whilst this is a first for the Royal Australian Air Force, other countries, including the United States, regularly use military assets to assist with Antarctic logistics and I am confident Australia can do the same,” Australia’s environment minister Greg Hunt said in an? RAAF release. The RAAF conducted its first Antarctic C-17 mission from Hobart, Tasmania, to Wilkins Aerodrome, near the Australian Antarctic program’s base. Air Force C-17s have supported the United States’ National Science Foundation research at McMurdo Station for several years, and most recently began year-round operations using night vision goggles. The Australian government will review the results of the mission to determine whether to normalize C-17 Antarctic resupply.