Cost Effective Airlift in the 21st Century

To date, the military’s strategic airlift requirements have been met by a mix of 190 C-17 and 111 C-5 aircraft. However, with the fleet aging and decreasing in reliability, the Air Force has undertaken two options for achieving its mission: modernizing C-5s and procuring new C-17s. As the strategic airlift fleet gets older, there is a debate underway about how to sustain airlift capability in a cost-effective manner. Two options are currently on the table: the first is to modernize existing C-5s in order to increase the performance and reliability of the C-5 fleet, and thus enhance the capability; the second option is to retire older C-5s and use the funding to procure newer C-17s. This hearing will comprehensively explore the arguments for and against each option in order to achieve the most cost effective option.