The C-5M already has made a big impact on the Air Force’s strategic airlift capability and, as attentions turn to the Asia-Pacific, the Super Galaxy will be even more helpful in overcoming the “tyranny of distance” in the region, according to service mobility officials. “We’ll see tremendous improvement in reliability, direct-delivery capability, and fuel efficiency. In turn, all of these will help reduce the demand on tanker platforms and the number of air refueling missions required,” said Lt. Col. Bob Shelton, in discussing the Super Galaxy’s impact. He’s the strategy and integration officer in Air Mobility Command’s operations directorate at Scott AFB, Ill. The Air Force intends to upgrade 52 legacy C-5s to the M configuration by 2016, said Shelton. “The C-5M is the future,” said SSgt. Steven Dow, a flying crew chief with the 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Dover AFB, Del., home to the service’s first two C-5M squadrons. Dow added, “I love the C-5—always have in any variant—but the C-5M is spectacular.” (Scott release)
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.