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U.S. Air Force

Airlift Squadrons

The backbone of American power projection. C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III, and C-130 Hercules move troops, cargo, and equipment anywhere on earth. If the Army fights it, Airlift delivered it.

Airlift
Explore Airlift Squadrons
C-17 / C-130 / C-5M / Airlift Wings
Global Reach, Anytime, Anywhere Est. 1941
AIRLIFT
AIR MOBILITY COMMAND
Airlift Squadrons
C-5 / C-17 / C-130
C-17
Globemaster III
C-130
Hercules
C-5M
Super Galaxy
AMC
AIR MOBILITY CMD
Airlift makes American expeditionary warfare possible. C-17s deliver tanks to dirt strips. C-130s airdrop paratroopers to forces in contact. C-5Ms carry outsized cargo nothing else can lift. AMC's airlift fleet is the largest in the world, and it is why the U.S. can put a brigade combat team anywhere on the planet in 96 hours. No other nation comes close. Read more
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From the Hump to Kabul 1942 - 2021
THE HUMP
CBI THEATER 1942-1945
The Hump
WWII Himalayas Airlift
Hump
Himalaya Air Route
650K
Tons Delivered
C-46
Curtiss Commando
594
AIRCRAFT LOST
After Japan cut the Burma Road in 1942, the only way to supply China was by air over the Himalayas. ATC crews flew C-46s over 500-mile routes crossing peaks above 15,000 feet in terrible weather. They delivered over 650,000 tons but lost 594 aircraft. The Hump proved strategic airlift was possible. It also proved the cost. Read more
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C-17
BOEING / CHARLESTON
C-17 Globemaster III
The Do-Everything Airlifter
170K lb
Max Payload
3,500 ft
Dirt Strip Landing
M1 Tank
Direct Delivery
823
PASSENGERS, KABUL
The C-17 is the most versatile military transport ever built. It carries 170,900 pounds, lands on 3,500-foot dirt strips, airdrops paratroopers and heavy equipment. The 437th AW at Charleston and 62nd AW at Lewis-McChord are the two largest C-17 wings. During the Kabul evacuation in August 2021, a single C-17 carried 823 passengers in one flight. Read more
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C-130
LOCKHEED / MARIETTA
C-130 Hercules
60+ Years and Still Flying
1956
First Flight
2,500+
Built Worldwide
70+
Nations Operate
J Model
SUPER HERCULES
The C-130 has been in continuous service since 1956 and flown in every American conflict since Vietnam. Over 2,500 built. It airdrops paratroopers, delivers to dirt strips, fights fires, flies special ops as the MC-130, and serves as the AC-130 gunship. The C-130J Super Hercules keeps the legacy alive. Little Rock AFB is the C-130 training center of the world. Read more
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C-17
Globemaster III
C-130
Hercules Legacy
AMC
Air Mobility Command
823
Passengers 1 C-17 Kabul