According to Air Mobility Command chief Gen. Carlton Everhart, fleet size has been cut in half to 56 from the 112 aircraft that were flying a few years ago.
US Air Force deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements Lt. Gen. Jerry D. Harris explained that the service intends to allocate funding to take at least eight Super Galaxies out of backup status, telling a House Armed Services Committee’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee hearing, "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," DOD Buzz reports.
At a late March event at Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews, Everhart told reporters he wanted to activate the strategic airlifters in an even shorter timeframe than Harris suggested.
He said, "Those eight C-5Ms? I was going to buy them back within a two-year period,” but added that the effort has “been delayed twice … in two budget cycles."
Everhart elaborated that he wants to boost the fleet’s numbers "because there's real world things that we've got to move, and they give me that … added assurance capability." Moving the C-5s to backup inventory 'means we still have the aircraft but lost all manning and funding to operate them," according to Military.com
According to an Air Force release, "The C-5 modernization program includes upgrading the avionics to improve communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management compliance as well as adding new safety equipment and installing a new autopilot system."
Lockheed Martin describes that C-5 Super Galaxy as "a game changer to the warfighter and America's premier global direct delivery weapons system."
"Since its inception, the C-5 has been a critical instrument of national policy."
