Boeing announced this month that India had formally expressed interest in acquiring 10 C-17 military transports. The company said the Indian air force wanted to “replace and augment” its fleet of Russian-made Il-76 and An-32 airlifters. The news followed closely on a confirmation that the U.A.E. had signed for six C-17s, as expected. Four will be delivered in 2011 and two in 2012. Also, the UK Royal Air Force recently opted to buy a seventh C-17. In late December, U.S. President Barack Obama signed a FY2010 defense appropriations bill that included $2.5 billion for10 more C-17s for the U.S. Air Force. As in 2008 and 2009, they had had not been requested by the service, but were added by Congress. Continued production of the C-17 now seems assured well into the new decade.