Two more 'Packhorse' trips to serve the US President to Hanoi

Two Boeing C-17s carrying many vehicles and equipment serving President Biden's visit to Vietnam landed at Noi Bai on the morning of September 3.

C-17 nicknamed "Packhorse" with serial number 88192 prepares to land at Noi Bai on the morning of September 3. Photo: Giang Huy

The first C-17 military transport aircraft, nicknamed "Packhorse", with the registration number 88192, landed at Noi Bai at 9:30 a.m., the second aircraft, registration number 66166, landed at 10:00 a.m. After a few minutes of moving across the runway, both aircraft stopped in front of VAECO's hangar maintenance area to wait for cargo to be unloaded.

These are the fourth and fifth C-17 flights to land at Noi Bai, carrying cargo for the US President's visit on September 10-11. Another flight is expected to arrive in Hanoi at 4 p.m. today.

Previously on September 1, three C-17 flights carrying equipment and two special Chevrolet and Ford cars served the US President's visit to Vietnam.

Two C-17s stop in front of VAECO's hangar maintenance area to wait for cargo to be unloaded. Photo: Giang Huy

The C-17 is a heavy military transport aircraft developed by McDonnell Douglas in the late 1980s, with a fuselage length of 53 m and a wingspan of 51.75 m. With a cargo compartment width of 5.5 m and a maximum height of 4.6 m, the aircraft is capable of carrying up to 78 tons of cargo or 102 paratroopers, suitable for operations requiring the transport of large numbers of people and equipment to and from locations far from the base.

The C-17 can transport the vehicles in the US President's motorcade, including the two Cadillacs nicknamed "The Beast". The Marines One helicopter is also carried by the C-17 on official trips, in case the US President cannot travel by road from the airport to the work site. This type of transport aircraft is also responsible for transporting technical equipment and fuel tanks for Air Force One.

The second C-17, number 66166, is landing at Noi Bai. Photo: Giang Huy

President Joe Biden will visit Vietnam on September 10-11 at the invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang believes that "the visits by the two countries' senior leaders will further deepen the Vietnam-US relationship, bringing the two countries' relations to stable, substantive and long-term development in all areas."

Mr. Biden will be the fifth US President to visit Vietnam, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries. The White House said Mr. Biden will meet with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other key Vietnamese leaders to "discuss ways to deepen cooperation between the United States and Vietnam."

Giang Huy - Vu Anh

Vnexpress.net