US Air Force unveils new details of Next Generation Airlift aircraft to replace C-17 and C-5
A USAF C-5M Super Galaxy sits on the ramp at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. (Photo: US Air Force)
New planning documents reveal how the service is defining the aircraft expected to succeed the C-17 and C-5, including its initial requirements and procurement roadmap.
The US Air Force (USAF) has started to define what could become its most important mobility aircraft since the C-17 Globemaster III – which entered service in the 1990s – with recent contracting notices providing initial requirements and a procurement timeframe for the Next Generation Airlift (NGAL) programme.
Rather than pursuing a conventional replacement for the C-17 and C-5M Super Galaxy, the service is seeking to increase survivability and operational flexibility for its airlift fleet while enabling missions in contested logistics scenarios.
Although this effort is still in its early stages, request for information (RfI) papers published last week suggested that the NGAL will
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