Why Did The CIA Director Fly To Moscow On An C-17 Aircraft?

Analysts offered an unexpected explanation.

The visit of to Moscow by the director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe came as a complete surprise, a fact underscored even by the mode of transportation chosen for the trip, according to Defense Express.

The publication reported that Retcliffe flew to the Russian capital on an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft, although he could have used one of the government aircraft, such as the the C-37 or C-40, which are specialized versions of the Gulfstream V and Boeing 737.

Analysts noted that the C-17 belongs to the class of strategic military transport aircraft, as its maximum takeoff weight is 265 metric tons, of which cargo can account for up to 77.5 metric tons.

Data indicates that with a payload of 75 metric tons, it can fly approximately 4,400 km without in-flight refueling.

The publication notes that this aircraft’s capabilities far exceed even the transportation needs of the CIA director and his delegation.

“But it is used when the airfield where the landing is scheduled is dangerous,” the article explains.

In particular, the C-17 was used to transport high-ranking U.S. officials to Afghanistan. This is also due to the aircraft being equipped with anti-aircraft missile defense systems.

In addition, this aircraft is used in cases where it is necessary to transport vehicles for the delegation. Apparently, this was the reason for using the C-17, as a motorcade of diplomatic vehicles accompanied by police was spotted in Moscow.

According to analysts, the C-17 can even transport an Abrams tank, while it can carry about a dozen regular or armored vehicles. At the same time, the only logical explanation for why it was impossible to use the U.S. Embassy’s vehicles in Russia is security concerns.

This means that CIA Director John Retcliffe’s visit to Moscow took place at a time when Washington is taking a rather sober view of all possible risks and attempting to safeguard its high-ranking officials with the means at its disposal.

At the same time, the official purpose of the U.S. delegation’s visit remains unknown.

The publication notes that the visit was quite brief: the C-17 landed in Moscow around 10:00 a.m. local time and departed around 7:00 p.m.

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