C-17 Globemaster III

The C-17 Globemaster III is the U.S. Air Force's primary strategic airlifter, capable of carrying outsized cargo — including M1 Abrams tanks — into short, austere runways. Its four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 engines and externally blown flap design deliver an unrefueled range of roughly 2,400 nautical miles with 170,000 pounds of payload.

The U.S. and allied operators purchased 279 aircraft before the production line closed in 2015. C-17s have been central to every U.S. combat deployment and humanitarian relief operation since the late 1990s, including the 2021 Kabul evacuation and ongoing resupply missions to Ukraine.

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