US Military’s Workhorse Cargo Jets Face Extended Service Through 2075

The Air Force plans to keep its aging fleet of strategic airlifters flying for decades as development of a next-generation replacement slips to the 2040s.

The United States Air Force will keep its fleet of Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft in service until 2075, with some airframes reaching 80 years of operation before retirement, according to a strategy document released by Air Mobility Command on November 19.

The extended timeline reflects the Air Force’s plan to introduce a next-generation airlifter in the early 2040s, pushing retirement dates far beyond typical military aircraft service lives. The Lockheed Martin C-5M Super Galaxy fleet must remain operational through 2045, while the C-17 fleet will continue flying for another five decades.

The Next Generation Airlift (NGAL) program aims to replace both aircraft types with a single platform designed for greater speed and enhanced operational flexibility in higher threat environments. Air Mobility Command projects the new airlifter will achieve Initial Operating Capability in fiscal year 2041, following an initial deployment no earlier than fiscal year 2038.

The Air Force currently operates 222 C-17A Globemaster IIIs and 52 C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft, according to fiscal year 2025 figures. The NGAL platform will eventually replace both fleets, with the C-5M scheduled to phase out first, followed by one-for-one replacement of the C-17 fleet.

Timeline Depends on Funding and Development

Air Mobility Command outlined an accelerated development schedule in its strategy memo, stating: “With an accelerated NGAL Analysis of Alternatives in FY27 and an uninterrupted acquisition process with consistent funding, the first NGAL aircraft could be produced as early as FY38. It is estimated the NGAL program will reach Initial Operational Capability in FY41.”

The timeline assumes consistent funding and an uninterrupted acquisition process, conditions that major defense programs sometimes struggle to maintain over multi-decade development cycles.

General John Lamontagne, commander of Air Mobility Command, told The War Zone that the program aims to modernize capabilities so the NGAL can operate with greater agility and speed in higher threat environments. The news was first reported by The War Zone.

Current Fleet Background

The C-17 Globemaster III entered service in 1995, originally developed by McDonnell Douglas before the company merged with Boeing in 1997. The airlifter was designed to replace the aging Lockheed C-141 Starlifter and perform missions similar to the C-5 Galaxy.

Production continued until 2015, with 279 C-17s delivered to the Air Force and allied nations, including the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Canada, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. The aircraft also serves the 12-nation Strategic Airlift Capability multinational program.

The C-5M Super Galaxy represents a modernized version of the C-5 Galaxy, which entered service in 1970. The original C-5 production ran from 1968 to 1989. Unlike the exported C-17, the C-5 Galaxy remains exclusively operated by the Air Force.

Performance Capabilities

The C-17 can carry a maximum payload of 170,900 pounds and has a maximum takeoff weight of 585,000 pounds, according to Air Force specifications. With a 164,900-pound load at a cruising altitude of 28,000 feet, the aircraft can fly approximately 2,400 nautical miles without refueling at speeds around 450 knots.

The larger C-5M can transport up to 281,001 pounds of cargo and fly 2,150 nautical miles before unloading and continuing to a second base 500 nautical miles away without aerial refueling. With a lighter 120,000-pound load, the C-5M can fly approximately 4,800 nautical miles, extending to 7,000 nautical miles when empty. The aircraft’s maximum speed reaches 518 miles per hour.