The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft.

It was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two previous piston-engined military cargo aircraft, the Douglas C-74 Globemaster and the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II.

Most noteworthy, The C-17 commonly performs tactical and strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world; additional roles include medical evacuation and airdrop duties.

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It was designed to replace the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, and also fulfill some of the duties of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, freeing the C-5 fleet for outsize cargo.

The C-17 can:

• Take off from a 7,740-foot (2359.15-meter) airfield
• Carry a payload of up to 164,900 pounds (74,797 kg)
• Fly 6,230 nautical miles with no payload
• Refuel while in flight
• Land in 3,000 feet (914 meters) or less on a small unpaved or paved airfield in day or night.
• Carry a cargo of wheeled U.S. Army vehicles in two side-by-side –
• rows, including the U.S. Army’s main battle tank, the M-1
• Drop a single 60,000-pound (27,216-kilogram) payload, with –
• sequential load drops of 110,000 pounds (49,895 kilograms)
• Back up a 2-percent slope
• Seat 54 on the sidewall and 48 in the center line