The U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command (AMC) released its airlift recapitalization strategy last week, outlining a multi-decade plan to maintain uninterrupted inter-theater airlift while replacing the service’s two largest transport fleets. According to a memorandum signed by Brig. Gen. David Fazenbaker, the Next Generation Airlift (NGAL) program is set to succeed both the C-5M Super Galaxy and C-17A Globemaster III.

Even so, current projections require the C-5M—first delivered in its earliest form in 1970—to remain viable until 2045, placing the airframe at roughly 75 years old at retirement. The C-17A, which entered service in 1993, is planned to remain operational through 2075, making the newest examples more than 80 years old by the time they are expected to be fully phased out.

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