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Monday, January 23, 2012

Global HeavyLift Holdings Commends Senator McCaskill's Request For Commercial Certification of Boeing C-17 (BC-17) From FAA

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, United States, January 22, 2012 (PressReleasePoint) - Global HeavyLift Holdings, a Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) listed (http://www.ccr.gov/) entity with principal offices in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is commending Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill's strong recommendation to the FAA that it fast track commercial certification of Boeing's workhorse C-17 Globemaster III strategic/tactical airlifter.

"GHH is exceptionally pleased that the Senator has demonstrated once again her unwavering support for this superlative airlifter, and the viability, if not the urgency, of establishing a U.S./NATO-controlled Heavylift industry based on very modestly modified C-17s -designated BC-17- for commercial use", says Global HeavyLift Holdings Managing Member Myron D. Stokes. "The Senator's actions are all the more notable when one considers the extraordinary efforts put forth by various parties in government and industry, both here and abroad, to kill C-17 by any means necessary."
World's Most Versatile Strategic/Tactical Airlifter: Boeing C-17 Globemaster III  Image: USAF

 
Global HeavyLift was founded in 2002 as a public persona of a public/private effort representing an atypically close collaboration between the U.S. Air Force, Boeing, themselves and other elements of industry at the direction of then SECAF Dr. James Roche. "The objective was to bring together the intellectual resources necessary to create a revamped (the first iteration of the strategy having been ruled as inadequate) architecture for infrastructure of a new globe spanning industry, Heavylift, while augmenting airlift requirements in the aftermath of Congressionally ordered force reductions post Cold War", says Stokes.  "Heavylift, currently controlled by the Russians with their commercialized An-124 Ruslan airlifter, is a subset of the air cargo industry that involves the movement of goods via air that are too large or outsized (Heavy Outsized Market-HOM) to fit in any door of any 747 or similar sized freighter, along with the Short Austere Market (SAM) that exploits the extraordinary short and rough/unfinished field capabilities of C-17. This is ideal for direct to site movement of heavy equipment and other materiel into the often remote, virtually inaccessible by ground transport, areas where gold, gas, diamonds and oil are found. Commercial C-17 utilization not only accelerates site preparation, but enables a significantly reduced time to market", he said.

A narrative of what was originally designated the CAMAA (Commercial Application of Military Airlift Aircraft) is linked here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Application_of_Military_Airlift_Aircraft

Stokes observes that up until now, the Russian/Ukrainian dominance of the Heavy and Outsized market was the primary concern, although not an insurmountable one. " It has always been GHH intent, as demonstrated by the 2008 visit of one of its people to Russian leadership in Moscow,  to work with them in a symbiotic way that allowed exploitation of the specific operational characteristics of both the C-17 and An-124.  The currently out of production Ruslan, while capable of carrying more outsized materiel and is quite robust, simply can't go where the Globemaster can and has - as proven in the crucibles of Iraq and Afghanistan.  Working in tandem, however, there is no let project anywhere on earth that cannot be serviced by these aircraft."

China C-17 Clone?
The new twist, Stokes says, is China's reported roll-out of its pre-production C-17 clone.  "This new airlifter, based on plans stolen by Chinese operatives in the same timeframe as the acquisition of extensive  technological and manufacturing data associated with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system along with F-22 and F-35, was projected to make its appearance in five to six years, as noted in an analysis presented to a Congressional committee in 2006. Moreover, there is every expectation China will seek to dominate the Heavy and Outsized market in the same way they have  carved out an exceptionally, and perhaps uncomfortably, strong presence in the global air cargo operations through extensive acquisition of B-747 aircraft of all configurations", Stokes says.  "Add this to their all but absolute control of ocean borne shipping -a clear and continuing concern to national security strategists- and one can understand the urgency of the FAA moving on this certification which can be completed within 12 months.

New Architecture
In anticipation of certification and permissions from involved Federal agencies including the State Department, GHH is revising its internal architecture, and has also advised its legal representation to incorporate in Delaware.  "This new architecture will allow more flexibility in terms of anticipated global operations", Stokes added, "And minimize the complexities of interaction with the financial sectors of multiple countries expected to serve as bases for GHH Air Operations Epicenters. In line with this, GHH financial advisors are already reaching out to those financial entities both here and abroad who survived the global economic meltdown of 2008, particularly those who were instrumental in creating GHH's comprehensive 30-year business plan."

As noted in previous releases, GHH has identified and has access to, financial instruments with a value up to USD5Billion. "We will leverage these instruments to help accomplish the mission outlined 11 years ago, inclusive of non-traditional aircraft acquisition methodologies as alluded to in the 2007 SpeedNews Jonathan Club Aerospace-Defense conference presentation in Los Angeles," Stokes said.  He  noted that despite the vigorous and continuous assaults on C-17's continued production, the bulk of which were based on flawed data, the GHH team remained confident that this indispensable airlifter would retain the mantle as primary resident of the Long Beach plant. "The reasons for our contending with those who sought C-17's -and Boeing's- demise were quite simple: No C-17, no heavylift."

Over the past 5 years, GHH representation -drawn from some of the best and brightest in industry and government- have traveled the world to assess potential bases in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.   "Through the efforts of GHH Director of Middle East Operations, Benjamin Ballout, an agreement was secured with the Sultanate of Oman", says Stokes.  This long time friend of the United States dating back to the 19th century Barbary Pirate Wars, is not only a profoundly strategic location, but is populated by a people of great intellect, solid values and ruled by a leader with clear vision.  I've been impressed with Sultan Qaboos since first becoming aware of him nearly 3 decades ago. 

"Also, there are active discussions with an Asian nation possessed of similar qualities, and expect to have an agreement by second quarter 2012.  And, now that the Long Beach and St. Louis production facilities, along with the supplier base, are secure until at least 2014, all involved parties can concentrate on global implementation of the HeavyLift initiative, and the rather significant economic stimulus benefits to participant countries", he said.   -Endit-

Previous releases: http://www.slideshare.net/GHHLLC/global-heavylift-holdings-llc-asks-boeing-c17-detractors-to-produce-internal-dod-analyses-supporting-kill-efforts
http://www.pressrelease365.com/pr/industry/military-and-defense/boeing-c17-2010-congressional-budget-dod-usaf-airlift-3650.htm
http://asimov52.wordpress.com/tag/global-heavylift-holdings-pushes-for-120-boeing-c-17s-for-2012-2020-dod-budgets/

About Global HeavyLift Holdings


Founded in 2002, GHH is a strategic air transport solutions entity that was born of a multi-year public/private effort among forward thinkers in both the private sector and government to mitigate emerging and observable vulnerabilities in the U.S. industrial base global supply chain. Such vulnerabilities are represented by the fact that no ocean-borne shipping is in U.S. hands at present, thus potentially subjecting American corporations, especially automotive, and their global operations to the whims and perhaps economically hostile activities of and by foreign governments. Add to this the risk of terrorist activities, which have, according to the Department of Homeland Security, targeted maritime operations; i.e., ships, ports and ocean containers.

Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) listed, (ccr.gov/)  it is the goal of GHH and its strategic partners around the planet to work with key logistics personnel within these corporations and government agencies to conceptualize, craft and structure long-term global supply chain alternative transportation methodologies through continuous -- not stop gap or emergency -- air augmentation solutions. Its most important mission, however, has been in the co-development of global architecture for infrastructure of a new American controlled industry, Heavylift, utilizing the excellent airlift performance characteristics of the Boeing BC-17.    * * *