USAF Considers Restarting C-17 Production Amidst Future Airlift Vision Assessment
The U.S. Air Force is evaluating the feasibility of resuming production of the C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane as part of its evolving plans for next-generation airlift capabilities. This assessment comes as the service also explores various concepts for future aerial refueling, including stealthy and uncrewed tankers. Lt. Gen. Daniel Tulley, head of Air Mobility Command (AMC), confirmed that all options are on the table for replacing the C-17 and C-5M Galaxy, with a target for a single Next-Generation Airlift (NGAL) platform by the mid-2040s. The C-17 production line was closed by Boeing in 2015. The Air Force is investigating whether the machinery and dies for C-17 production have been stored and what the associated costs would be to restart the line. This inquiry is part of an Analysis of Alternatives, which will also consider potential technological upgrades to a new C-17 variant, such as enhanced self-defense and network connectivity, to meet modern operational requirements.
