Looking ahead to the 2040s, the U.S. Air Force is planning for its C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster aircraft to be replaced by a single transport aircraft, which would facilitate the transition to a new platform in the future. As of now, the institution is in the early stages of drafting and defining the requirements for what has been called the Next Generation Airlift (NGAL). U.S. defense media outlets have already reported that the goal is to develop a platform that is faster and more flexible in operational terms, while also equipping it with new defensive systems against ground and air threats to increase survivability in the modern battlefield.
The news was outlined by General John Lamontagne, current head of Air Mobility Command, during a roundtable with The Warzone and other local defense outlets, held in parallel with the latest edition of the 2025 Air, Space and Cyber Conference of the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA). He stated that this is an important long-term project, given that in 2025 the U.S. Air Force operates a total of 222 C-17 aircraft and 52 C-5 aircraft, which entered service in the 1990s and 1980s respectively; neither of which is still in production.
Quoting some of General Lamontagne’s own words regarding the current state of the program: “(Editor’s note: We are looking for) basically a two-for-one deal to replace both the C-17 and the C-5 (…) With that in mind, we’re approaching the mid-2040s.When I say two-for-one, we’re probably going to procure one aircraft. We won’t get a C-5 replacement and a C-17 replacement. There’ll be one airplane that does strategic airlift.” He also noted that the institution is conducting a capabilities-based assessment, with the goal of defining the features the new platform will need and the sustainment framework that will accompany it throughout its service life.
As mentioned earlier, one of the main aspects being assessed is the ability of the platform to operate in heavily defended environments, especially considering long-range missile systems currently being developed by China, both ground-based and airborne. Another aspect under consideration is ground refueling, with the goal of making the process faster than current standards, thereby reducing the time an aircraft remains on the ground and exposed to threats; the same logic applies to cargo loading and unloading systems.
In General Lamontagne’s own words: “We’re obviously at a lot of risk on the ground, sitting on the ground somewhere. So, we don’t want to sit on the ground for three hours. If we could refuel in a lot faster timeline than that, not that it takes three hours to refuel a C-17, but, you know, three minutes would be better than 30 minutes.(…) Right now, we know what we need to do and where we need to go. We’ve got to develop the defensive systems, continue to develop them, and we’re doing a lot of tests and experimentation on that now, so that we can spiral it out.”
This vision for a new platform, however, has raised doubts about how feasible it would be to unify the capabilities of both aircraft into a single design. The issue is significant, as each aircraft has different payload capacities, sizes, and functions, as well as logistical requirements tied to the bases that host them. In this sense, the Air Force acknowledged that its future NGAL program could involve more than one design to address these differences, although it also expressed concerns about the costs of developing multiple variants, especially at a time when other projects such as nuclear deterrence modernization take precedence.
It is also worth recalling that the USAF has already explored new concepts for its larger aircraft in the past, incorporating stealth features and even potential vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities. Notably, this refers to the development of NGAS refueling aircraft, a program that faced multiple obstacles related to high costs, to the point where studies by the Air Force itself recommended canceling it. At present, according to the previously cited outlet, the institution seeks to advance its development through independent initiatives and could leverage lessons learned from that effort for the new NGAL platform.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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