T
HE 24TH FULLY-
MODERNIZED C-5M ‘Super
Galaxy’ for Air Mobility
Command (AMC) arrived at
Stewart Air National Guard
Base in Newburgh, New York,
from Lockheed Martin’s facility in Marietta,
Georgia, when serial 86-0022 touched down
on February 12, 2015. Once the New York
ANG’s 105th Airlift Wing (AW) completes the
internal paint restoration process, the aircraft
will be delivered to the 60th Air Mobility
Wing (AMW) at Travis AFB, California. The
wing’s 22nd Airlift Squadron (AS) — which
received its fi rst Super Galaxy on May 14,
2014, when serial 87-0042 arrived — is the
second of two active-duty and two Air Force
Reserve Command (AFRC) squadrons that will
share a fl eet of 52 upgraded Galaxies. In
addition, two AFRC associate organizations
will share the responsibility for fl ying and
maintaining those C-5Ms assigned to the
active-duty wings.The 436th AW’s 9th AS and the 512th AW’s
709th AS at Dover AFB, Delaware, were the
fi rst squadrons to transition to the C-5M. The
9th AS’s last C-5B mission concluded on
March 12, 2012 and a crew from the 709th AS
subsequently fl ew Dover’s fi nal C-5B sortie on
April 5 of the same year. The C-5M achieved
initial operational capability (IOC) on
February 21, 2014, following delivery of the
16th aircraft to Dover and the completion of
qualifi cation test, operational test and
evaluation. The base’s full conversion to the
Super Galaxy was completed when serial
87-0040 arrived at Dover on April 2, 2014.
Assignment of the mission design series
designation (MDS) C-5M to the Galaxy marks
the completion of a two-phase modernization
program that comprises the Avionics
Modernization Program (AMP) and the
Reliability Enhancement and Re-Engining
Program (RERP).
The latest developments bring the story of
the Galaxy full circle. But it’s worthremembering that the early years of what was
once the world’s largest strategic transport
were far from trouble-free.History
Plans to develop a new heavy airlifter were
fi rst announced by Secretary of Defense Robert
S. McNamara on December 22, 1964. Intended
as a replacement for the Douglas C-133
Cargomaster, the program called for a transport
that was capable of carrying a 125,000lb
(56,700kg) payload a distance of 8,000 miles
(12,875km). Lockheed’s Model GL-500-13-7
was selected as the winner of the USAF’s
CX-HLS (Heavy Logistic System) order on
September 30, 1965. Subsequently, on
December 17, 1965, Lockheed Aircraft
Corporation received a $1.4-billion contract
that included the development and
production of 58 aircraft in Lot A.
Capable of transporting 36 standard 88 x
108in (2.23 x 2.74m) 463L pallets, two M1
Abrams main battle tanks, or a single 74-tonLOCKHEED MARTIN C-5 GALAXY
report: Tom Kaminski
AIR MOBILITY COMMAND
70 May 2015 http://www.combataircraft.netFACT FILE
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