The C-17 Globemaster is the Air Force’s unsung hero

You read about sleek fighter jets and how they can shoot down enemy aircraft. You read about cool strategic bombers and the massive payloads they can carry across the world. But you seldom read about the transport aircraft that make everything move. In many ways, transport aircraft are the unseen workhorses of the U.S. military.

And when it comes to transport aircraft, there are few better than the Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster III.

The Air Force’s airlift mission set, which the C-17 fulfills, might sound easy, but it is from that: It is one thing to conduct an airborne drop over enemy territory with several C-17s, and another to maintain an effective airlift bridge to a potential battle area; the latter requires both numbers and skill to pull off.

For that reason, the Air Force operates over 200 C-17s across its active duty, reserve, and national guard units.

“Threats [to] U.S. interests have changed in recent years, and the size and weight of U.S.-mechanized firepower and equipment have grown in response to improved capabilities of potential adversaries,” the Air Force says about the airlift mission set.

“This trend has significantly increased air mobility requirements, particularly in the area of large or heavy outsize cargo. As a result, newer and more flexible airlift aircraft are needed to meet potential armed contingencies, peacekeeping or humanitarian missions worldwide,” the Air Force adds.

The C-17 is designed to meet that demand for powerful airlift aircraft. At 174 feet long, the C-17 is powered by four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines (similar engines to those found on the Boeing 757) that can produce a combined thrust of approximately 160,000 pounds. The transport aircraft’s maximum payload capacity is around 170,000 pounds. The C-17 can fly approximately 2,800 miles without refueling and can cruise at speeds of 520 miles.

Transporting a president’s goods

Air transportation specialists assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron move cargo onto a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Oct. 29, 2021. The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to maintain operating bases or directly to forward bases in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Joseph Pick)

Perhaps one of the least well-known aspects of the C-17 is that it is designated as the type or aircraft that supports the White House. Every time the U.S. president travels abroad, he takes with him his secure limousines and support vehicles (ambulances, tactical response vehicles, counter-EOD, counter-drone, etc.). Most presidential convoys are comprised of dozens of vehicles. But to get all of these assets into another country requires a special type of an aircraft. Enter the C-17.

“[The C-17] is so capable [that] you do this large spectrum of types of airlift missions, one of them being flying for the White House Military Office and flying some really important cargo, really important folks—diplomats,” a C-17 pilot said during an interview with The Flyover Podcast.

“So, there is an inherent, like high-level of responsibility, I think, doing any missions. But they when you’re doing AMC’s number one mission, which is provide support for the White House, and you’re flying, let’s say, Marine One [helicopter], or you’re flying the President’s limos. You kind of get used to that sense of, hey, there’s a high level of responsibility here, and I have to have my stuff together

But the C-17 isn’t just designed to carry troops and cargo. The aircraft is quite versatile and canfulfill a number of mission sets if necessary.

For example, starting in 2015, the Air Force tested the C-17 as a missile platform that could fly close to a target and unleash salvos of ballistic and cruise missiles against targets on the ground or the sea. In an operational environment like the Indo-Pacific, such a skill set could prove invaluable in a future near-peer conflict with China.

Overall, the C-17 Globemaster III is a powerful transport aircraft that can conduct several mission sets anywhere in the world. That is a special skill.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in January 2025.

Feature Image: A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, is unloaded, Jan. 11, 2022, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The C-17 commonly performs tactical and strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world; additional roles include medical evacuation and airdrop duties. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Elizabeth Schoubroek)

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