For over five decades, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy has been the backbone of the U.S. Air Force's heavy strategic airlift, entering service in the Vietnam War era and proving its worth in every major operation since, from the Yom Kippur War to Desert Storm. Today, the entire fleet has been modernized to the C-5M Super Galaxy configuration, making it the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory. This massive airlifter is the only platform capable of transporting 100% of certified air-transportable cargo for the Department of Defense, including outsized and oversized equipment like main battle tanks and helicopters. In 2025, the C-5M continues to play a vital global role in everything from troop and cargo transport for exercises to humanitarian and disaster relief missions, with its service life projected to extend well into the 2040s. Its unique capability to open both its nose and aft doors simultaneously and kneel its landing gear for easy drive-on/drive-off loading makes it an indispensable asset for rapid global mobility.

Learn more about the C-5 and 54 other aircraft in service with the U.S. Armed Forces in our Aircraft Recognition Playing Cards deck!