C-5 Super Galaxy: Anywhere in the world in 24 hours

The U.S. military has a global purview. As such, it needs to be able to respond to anywhere in the world quickly and efficiently. That is easier said than done. However, the U.S. Air Force has a special aircraft for that purpose. Meet the C-5 Super Galaxy.

C-5 Super Galaxy pilots take pride in the fact that they can deliver anything anywhere in the world within 24 hours. And anything means anything. The C-5 Super Galaxy can fit hundreds of troops, M1 Abrams main battle tanks, C-47 Chinook helicopters, M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, M-777 155mm howitzers, M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and other heavy weapon systems in its vast cargo space.

“The C-5 is just a massive engineering marvel,” Captain Jacob Riley, a C-5 pilot said in an interview with the Flyover Podcast.

“There is a part of you that wonders when you see it on the ground whether it is actually going to take off. Every time I went out to fly, I was a little bit disbelief that this million-pound airplane is going to take off today,” Riley added.

The C-5 has a crew of seven (two pilots, two flight engineers, and three loadmasters). Powered by four F-138-GE100 General Electric engines, each of which can produce around 51,000 lbs of thrust for a combined 204,000 lbs of thrust, the C-5 can reach speeds of around 520 miles per hour and fly without refueling for 5,500 miles.  

The U.S. Air Force has approximately 52 C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft.

The C-5 truly distinguishes itself in terms of its load capacity. The jumbo transport aircraft can carry an impressive 281,000 pounds of cargo, which would be the equivalent of two M1SEPv2 Abrams main battle tanks.

“And I extrapolate that to a bigger strategic objective – and that is to project force worldwide, right? Because the C-5 provides a level of anytime, anywhere, anything. We can put it halfway around the world within 24 hours. And we are the best at doing that. The C-5 offers that strategic ability to move cargo long distances and a lot of it in a short period of time,” Riley told the Flyover Podcast.

Although one of the world’s best transport aircraft, the C-5 is versatile and can conduct other mission sets besides airlift. Most notably, the C-5 is qualified to carry and deploy Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), first showcasing the capability in 1974. In the event of a near-peer conflict with China or Russia, this could prove extremely useful. Beijing, for example, has created a powerful Anti-Access, Aerial Denial (A2/AD) bubble around the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Through anti-ship and anti-aircraft systems, this A2/AD bubble will seek to prevent the U.S. military from intervening in hostilities in the region. So, taking out the A2/AD systems will be a main challenge for the U.S. forces. C-5 Galaxies carrying long-range munitions could offer additional solutions to U.S. commanders.

Airlift capabilities are key for a global superpower. In the event of a conflict with China or Russia, much will depend on the ability of the U.S. Air Mobility Command to move around troops and weapon systems – the C-5 Super Galaxy is an important asset that will help the Air Force do that.

Feature Image: Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Christopher Settle, from Columbus, Ind., walks on the flight line after directing a U.S. Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy, assigned to the “Mulies” of the 22nd Airlift Squadron to its designated spot onboard Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi, Japan Feb. 5, 2022. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Rafael Avelar)

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