C-5M Super Galaxy

The C-5M Super Galaxy is the U.S. Air Force's largest strategic airlifter, capable of carrying outsized cargo including two M1 Abrams tanks, six AH-64 Apaches, or a fully loaded 74-ton payload intercontinental distances without refueling. The C-5M upgrade reengined the legacy C-5B/C fleet with GE CF6-80C2 turbofans and modernized the avionics, restoring mission-capable rates.

The C-5 complements the C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules as the top tier of the Mobility Air Forces triad. Roughly 52 C-5Ms remain in service and are expected to fly into the 2040s, anchoring the outsized cargo mission that smaller airlifters cannot perform.

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