C-5 A/B/C Galaxy and C-5M Super Galaxy Mission The C-5M Super Galaxy is a strategic transport aircraft and is the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory. Its primary mission is to transport cargo and personnel for the Department of Defense. The C-5M is a modernized version of the legacy C-5 designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin. Currently, the U.S. Air Force owns and operates 52 C-5Ms. The aircraft are stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware; Travis Air Force Base, California; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; and Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. Features The C-5M Super Galaxy is equipped with five sets of landing gear, 28 wheels, four General Electric CF6-80C2-L1F (F-138) commercial engines, and a state-of-the-art maintenance diagnostics system. It can carry oversized cargo over intercontinental ranges and can take off and land on relatively short runways. Both the nose and aft doors open, allowing ground crews to simultaneously load and offload cargo from both ends, reducing cargo transfer times. The full-width drive-on ramps at each end enable double rows of vehicles to be transported. The maintenance diagnostics system can record and analyze data from more than 7,000 test points, reducing maintenance and repair time. The C-5M, with a cargo load of 281,001 pounds (127,460 kilograms), can fly 2,150 nautical miles, offload, and fly to a second base 500 nautical miles away from the original destination — all without aerial refueling. With aerial refueling, the aircraft's range is limited only by crew endurance. Background Lockheed-Georgia Co. delivered the first operational C-5A Galaxy to the 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, South Carolina, on June 6, 1970. In March 1989, the last 50 C-5Bs were delivered, adding to the already existing 76 C-5As in the Air Force's airlift inventory. The C-5B included more than 100 additional system modifications to improve reliability and maintainability. Additionally, in fiscal year 1989, two space cargo modified (SCM) C-5Cs were delivered. The modification included removing the troop compartment, redesigning the aft pressure door and bulkhead, and widening the aft doors so the aircraft could carry the space shuttle's large cargo container. The two SCM C-5Cs were assigned to Travis AFB, California. Based on a study showing 80 percent of the C-5 airframe service life remaining, Air Mobility Command began an aggressive program to modernize the C-5s in 1998. The C-5 Avionics Modernization Program included upgrading the avionics to improve communications, as well as upgrading the navigation, surveillance & air traffic management systems to maintain compliance with national and international airspace requirements. It also added new safety equipment and installed a new autopilot system. Another part of the C-5 modernization plan was a comprehensive Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP). The last of the Air Force's 52 C-5s completed the RERP modification in fiscal year 2018. The rest of the C-5 fleet entered retirement by September 2017. The C-5 aircraft engines were upgraded from four General Electric TF-39 engines to General Electric CF6-80C2-L1F (F-138) commercial engines. This engine delivers a 22 percent increase in thrust, a 30 percent shorter takeoff roll, a 58 percent faster climb rate and will allow significantly more cargo to be carried over longer distances. With its new engines and other system upgrades, the RERP-modified C-5A/B/Cs became C-5M Super Galaxies. This modernization program also made the C-5 fleet quieter (Federal Aviation Administration Stage 4 Compliant), enhanced aircraft reliability, maintainability, maintained structural and system integrity, reduced cost of ownership and increased operational capability well into the 21st century. Looking to the future, modernization efforts include incorporating advanced weather radar, mission computing, communication systems, and air traffic management to meet FAA mandates and survivability in theater. General Characteristics Primary Function: Outsize cargo transport Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin-Georgia Co. Length: 247 feet 10 inches (75.3 meters) Height: 65 feet 1 inch (19.84 meters) Wingspan: 222 feet 9 inches (67.89 meters) Cargo Compartment: Height: 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 meters) Width: 19 feet (5.79 meters) Length: 143 feet, 9 inches (43.8 meters) Maximum Allowable Payload: 281,001 pounds (127,460 Kilograms) Pallet Positions: 36 pallet positions Power Plant: Four F-138-GE100 General Electric engines Thrust: 51,250 pounds per engine Maximum Takeoff Weight: 840,000 pounds (381,024 kilograms) Speed: 518 miles per hour (833.5 kilometers per hour) Ceiling: 41,000 feet Range: No cargo: 7,000 nautical miles With 285,000 pounds cargo: 5,500 nautical miles Crew: Seven (Pilot, co-pilot, two flight engineers and three loadmasters) Unit Cost: $90 million (fiscal 2009 constant dollars) Date Entered USAF Inventory: November 2010 Inventory: Active-Duty: 36; Air National Guard: 0; Air Force Reserves: 16 (Current as of April 2025)