After several years of removing C-5s from active service the Air Force wants to reverse the trend and increase the number of Galaxy aircraft.
A few years ago, the size of the fleet was more than 100 aircraft; today, it’s half of that, according to Gen. Carlton Everhart, the head of Air Mobility Command.
Over the next few years, the Air Force plans to allocate funding to move at least eight of the Lockheed Martin Corp.-made strategic airlifters out of backup status, according to Lt. Gen. Jerry D. Harris, the service’s deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements.
“We’re going to buy back two a year for four years, if we’re able to have a predictable budget to get the fleet back to a higher quality,” Harris said Thursday during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. – DoDBuzz
It does appear that the Trump increase in military spending is causing things to change. In addition to this news on the C-5, Fighter Sweep reported to you that the Air Force has decided not to retire the U-2 spy plane because of recent increases in their budget.
Featured image of a C-5 Galaxy, with the 301st Airlift Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., departing for Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, carrying 398th Air Expeditionary Group personnel by Tech. Sgt. Justin D. Pyle, US Air Force
