According to Air Force Secretary Wynne, wounded troops have a much better chance of surviving thanks to the C-17. Speaking on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Wynne said that in Vietnam, injured troops had a 75 percent chance of survival, while, today in Iraq, the rate is up to 91 percent. He upped that survival rate to 93.5 percent if the troops make it to Balad AB, Iraq. Wynne said that the C-17 strategic airlifter—by operating near the front lines—is “allowing [the higher rate] to happen.”
As with previous stealth aircraft unveilings, the Air Force’s imagery of the F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter has been doctored to keep adversaries guessing about its true shaping and design philosophy.