The C-17 Globemaster significantly enhances the Air Force's ability to support national and international operations, and major disaster relief efforts. It is capable of rapid delivery of troops and oversized cargo to deployment areas.
As one of the largest strategic airlifters in the world, the Globemaster has the capability to lift almost four times the load of the Hercules, and can carry that load twice as far. To put it into perspective, the aircraft is able to carry up to 134 fully equipped troops, 90 stretcher patients, five Bushmaster infantry mobility vehicles, or three Tiger helicopters. It also has the ability to transport up to 75 tonnes of equipment and supplies as well as an Abrams M1A1 main battle tank.
The floor of the cargo bay has sets of rollers to allow pallets to be rolled into place. These can also be flipped over to provide a solid base to drive vehicles onto.
Apart from operating from runways as short as 1,064m and as narrow as 27m, the Globemaster can operate out of unpaved, dirt or gravel runways.
Using its reverse thrust to back the aircraft up, it can perform a 3-point turn on a narrow runway.
The thrust reversers on the Globemaster can direct the flow of air upward and forward. This facilitates a decreased rate of ingestion of foreign object debris, as well as reverse thrust capable of backing the aircraft.
Additionally, the aircraft's thrust reversers can be used at idle reverse in-flight for added drag in very steep descents.
The Globemaster gets its power from four high-bypass Pratt and Whitney PW2040 turbofan engines. These engines are the ideal matches for the aircraft, as they are able to perform in a range of tough environments and provide the necessary power to help lift the Globemaster's massive load capability.