Pentagon extends C‑17 service life to 2075 amid delayed replacement
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The Air Force’s C‑17 Globemaster fleet, whose first production model was delivered on June 14, 1993, has had its service life reassessed at 45,000 flight hours, exceeding the manufacturer’s original projection of 30,000 hours.
The force now operates 222 C‑17 aircraft and intends to keep them in service until 2075, while the next‑generation airlift platform is not expected to be ready before 2041; restarting C‑17 production would cost between $2.1 billion and $2.7 billion in 2011 dollars.