C-5M Super Galaxy 'flexes muscles' supporting Afghanistan surge

Published July 23, 2010
By Mark Diamond
Headquarters AMC Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- During a recent operation in support of the nation's 30,000 troop plus-up in Afghanistan, Air Mobility Command's newest C-5 airlifter got a chance to flex its M-model muscles.

And according to those closest to the operation, the results were impressive.

Dubbed the C-5M Super Galaxy, the newest C-5 to join the AMC fleet boasts upgraded engines and avionics, enhanced communications, navigation and safety systems, and improved reliability rates.

During a recent 30-day mission, 10 C-5 aircraft - two M models and eight legacy A- and B- model C-5s - transported more than 100 U.S. Army helicopters and more than 400,000 pounds of related equipment from Rota Naval Air Station, Spain, to various airfields in Afghanistan, including Bagram and Kandahar.

According to AMC officials, although 10 aircraft were used, at any given time only four or five aircraft (including the two C-5M Super Galaxies) were transporting helicopters downrange. Officials said the mission was planned using two C-5Ms and two C-5Bs; however, as the legacy C-5B aircraft went down for maintenance, they were replaced with other A- and B-model C-5s.

The pre-staged helicopters and cargo belong to the U.S. Army's Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. The 2,600-member Fort Hood, Texas, unit is slated to deploy to Afghanistan this month.

As part of a U.S. Transportation Command multimodal movement, the Army equipment was initially transported to Rota NAS by ship. From there, AMC Airmen loaded the equipment onto the C-5s and delivered it directly into landlocked Afghanistan.

This multimodal operation maximizes available resources by combining the immense carrying capacity of sealift with the swift, "anywhere-anytime" capability of airlift.

AMC officials said the entire operation was a great example of the services working together under the umbrella of USTRANSCOM to support the joint warfighter, and a perfect example of the capabilities the Defense Department gains from the new C-5M Super Galaxy.

Colonel Patrick Cloutier, Rota NAS Stage commander for the operation and vice commander of the 439th Airlift Wing (Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.), said the upgraded C-5Ms outperformed the A- and B-model C-5s.

Because of maintenance issues with the legacy C-5s, he said they employed eight C-5A/Bs to generate 23 missions, while the two C-5Ms generated 22 missions. And although the Super Galaxies flew one less mission, Colonel Cloutier said they hauled 55 percent of the total cargo.

AMC officials said the C-5Ms completed the operation out of Rota NAS with a 96 percent maintenance departure reliability rate vs. an 82 percent rate for the A- and B-model C-5s.

Even more impressive, according to the colonel, at one point during the early days of the operation, he said they were turning a single C-5M every eight hours without "missing a beat."

"In short, the C-5M did what it was designed to do; deliver cargo more effectively and efficiently than its predecessor," Colonel Cloutier added. "We're just now realizing everything this incredible aircraft can do."

Captain Cory Damon, a Dover aircrew member involved in the operation, added, "[The crew] wore out before the C-5M did." He said it was the first time he'd seen this happen during his C-5 career.

Colonel Cloutier said that the two factors that make the C-5M stand out are reliability and performance. In fact, he said the operation ended two days earlier than planned; an accomplishment he attributes to the C-5M's outstanding reliability and performance.

'Birth' of the Super Galaxy

AMC began an aggressive program to modernize all remaining C-5Bs and C-5Cs and many of the C-5As in its inventory. The C-5 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) began in 1998 and included upgraded avionics, improved communications, new flat panel displays, improved navigation and safety equipment, and a new autopilot system. The first flight of the first AMP-modified C-5 (tail number 85-0004) occurred on Dec. 21, 2002.

Another part of the C-5 modernization plan is the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program, or RERP, which includes new General Electric CF6-80C2 engines, pylons and auxiliary power units, with upgrades to the aircraft skin and frame, landing gear, cockpit and pressurization system.

The C-5 aircraft that undergo both the AMP and RERP upgrades are designated C-5M, also known as the "Super Galaxy." The Air Force plans to upgrade 52 Galaxies to "super" status by the end of 2016.

Each of the C-5M's CF6 engines produces 50,000 foot-pounds of thrust; up from the 43,000 pounds generated by the older General Electric TF-39 engines. The 22 percent increase in thrust results in a 30 percent shorter take-off roll, a 38 percent higher climb rate to initial altitude, a significantly increased cargo load, and a longer range between refueling.

To put this into perspective, a C-5M with 50,000 pounds of fuel only needs 1,500 feet of runway to get airborne, while the legacy C-5s need between 3,000 to 4,000 feet. Additionally, a C-5M, at an average Takeoff Gross Weight above 600,000 lbs, can climb to cruising altitude of 34,000 feet in 18 minutes while legacy C-5s need 33 minutes to reach 25,000 feet. The faster climb saves fuel since less is needed at its cruising altitude.

The AMP and RERP modernization programs are expected to raise the Mission Capable Rate to a minimum wartime goal of 75 percent, at an average procurement unit cost of $119 million per plane, which includes the aircraft and logistics support.

And the warfighter isn't the only one who benefits from Super Galaxy; the Air Force estimates the C-5M will save taxpayers in excess of $17 billion over the next 40 years.