17/03/2026
The U.S. Air Force is not ready to let go of the C-17 Globemaster III. Not even close.
Boeing announced in February 2026 that it has been awarded a contract to completely modernize the flight deck of the C-17A fleet. The program, called the Flight Deck Obsolescence and Technology Refresh, will replace aging 1990s-era cockpit avionics with modern modular systems designed for plug-and-play upgrades. Subcontractor Curtiss-Wright, which will supply the new mission computers, said the contract could exceed $400 million over its lifetime.
The goal is to keep the C-17 flying and mission-ready until at least 2075. That means the oldest airframes, delivered in the early 1990s, would be over 80 years old at retirement. Between 1993 and 2015, Boeing delivered 275 C-17s. The U.S. Air Force currently operates 219. Several other nations also fly the type, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, India, and Qatar.
The C-17 is the backbone of American strategic airlift. It can carry up to 164,900 pounds of cargo or 100 paratroopers, land on short unpaved runways in harsh conditions, and refuel in the air for virtually unlimited range. It has supported every major U.S. military operation since the 1990s.
Production ended in 2015 and there is no replacement yet. The Air Force is developing a Next Generation Airlift platform, but it is still years away. Until then, the Globemaster flies on.
