No. 99 Squadron RAF
No. 99 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing C-17 from RAF Brize Norton, the RAF's air transport hub.The first of the squadron's four C-17s was delivered to the RAF on May 17 2001, arriving at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire on May 23. One of the first high profile missions of the squadron was the deployment of Lynx helicopters and support equipment to Macedonia as part of a NATO peacekeeping force.
Since then the Squadron has supported the miltary exercise in Oman, the War on Terror in Afghanistan, and the Invasion of Iraq (Operation Telic.) More routine tasks have gone largely unpublicised, for example the replacement of 1435 Flight's Tornado F3s in the Falkland Islands. Previously the RAF had to lease commercial heavy lifters to return the aircraft to the UK, or launch a major logistical effort to allow a ferry flight. In any case the C-17 has proved invaluable to the RAF, so much so that the original seven year lease has been extended and there have been the reports that the RAF wishes lease or buy additional C-17s.
The Squadron continues its role as a transport squadron, previously operating Bristol Britannias from 1959 to 1976.