Military transport aircraft

File:IAF-C-17.jpg

An Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at the Edwards Air Force Base, California

A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to maintaining supply lines to forward bases that are difficult to reach by ground or waterborne access, and can be used for both strategic and tactical missions. They are also often used for civilian emergency relief missions by transporting humanitarian aid.

Air frames

Fixed-wing

File:Skytrain Douglas C-47 (16138521471).jpg

A Douglas C-47 Skytrain, derived from the Douglas DC-3

Military transport aeroplanes are defined in terms of their range capability as strategic airlift or tactical airlift to reflect the needs of the land forces which they most often support. These roughly correspond to the commercial flight length distinctions: Eurocontrol defines short-haul routes as shorter than 1,500 km (810 nmi), long-haul routes as longer than 4,000 km (2,200 nmi) and medium-haul between.

The military glider is an unpowered tactical air transport which has been used in some campaigns to transport troops and/or equipment to the battle front.

Rotary-wing

Military transport helicopters are used in places where the use of conventional aircraft is impossible. For example, the military transport helicopter is the primary transport asset of US Marines deploying from amphibious assault ships. The landing possibilities of helicopters are almost unlimited, and where landing is impossible, for example densely packed jungle, the ability of the helicopter to hover allows troops to deploy by abseiling and roping.

Transport helicopters are operated in assault, medium and heavy classes. Air assault helicopters are usually the smallest of the transport types, and designed to move an infantry squad or section and their equipment. Helicopters in the assault role are generally armed for self-protection both in transit and for suppression of the landing zone. This armament may be in the form of door gunners, or the modification of the helicopter with stub wings and pylons to carry missiles and rocket pods. For example, the Sikorsky S-70, fitted with the ESSM (External Stores Support System), and the Hip E variant of the Mil Mi-8 can carry as much disposable armament as some dedicated attack helicopters.

Medium transport helicopters are generally capable of moving up to a platoon of infantry, or transporting towed artillery or light vehicles either internally or as underslung roles. Unlike the assault helicopter they are usually not expected to land directly in a contested landing zone, but are used to reinforce and resupply landing zones taken by the initial assault wave. Examples include the unarmed versions of the Mil Mi-8, Super Puma, CH-46 Sea Knight, and NH90.

Heavy lift helicopters are the largest and most capable of the transport types, currently limited in service to the CH-53 Sea Stallion and related CH-53E Super Stallion, CH-47 Chinook, Mil Mi-26, and SA 321 Super Frelon. Capable of lifting up to 80 troops and moving small Armoured fighting vehicles (usually as slung loads but also internally), these helicopters operate in the tactical transport role in much the same way as small fixed wing turboprop air-lifters. The lower speed, range and increased fuel consumption of helicopters are offset by their not requiring a runway.

Payload comparison

Country	Aircraft	Payload t	Max takeoff weight kg (lb)	Cargo hold Length m (ft)	Cargo hold Width m (ft)	Cargo hold Height m (ft)	Ferry Range (no payload) km (nmi)	Range with max payload km (nmi)	Range with specified payload km (nmi)	Range with specified payload km (nmi)
Soviet Union (Ukraine)	Antonov An-225	247	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt		Template:Cvt (w/200,000 kg payload)
Soviet Union (Ukraine)	Antonov An-124	150	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt (w/80,000 kg payload)	Template:Cvt (w/40,000 kg payload)
United States	Lockheed C-5 Galaxy	129.274	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt (w/54,431 kg payload)
Soviet Union (Ukraine)	Antonov An-22	80	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt		Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt (w/45,000 kg payload)
United States	Boeing C-17 Globemaster III	77.5	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt		Template:Cvt (w/71,000 kg payload)
China	Xi'an Y-20	66	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt			Template:Cvt (w/55,000 kg payload)
Soviet Union (Uzbekistan)	Ilyushin Il-76	60	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt		Template:Cvt (w/52,000 kg payload)
Europe	Airbus A330 MRTT	45	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
Europe	Airbus A400M Atlas	37	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt rear section：Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt (w/30,000 kg payload)	Template:Cvt (w/20,000 kg payload)
Japan	Kawasaki C-2	36	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt (w/30,000 kg payload)	Template:Cvt (w/20,000 kg payload)
Brazil	Embraer C-390	26	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt (w/23,000 kg payload)	Template:Cvt (w/14,000 kg payload)
China	Shaanxi Y-9	23	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
Soviet Union	Mil Mi-26	20	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
United States	Lockheed Martin C-130J	19.8	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt		Template:Cvt (w/15,422 kg payload)
Ukraine	Antonov An-178	16 (18 max)	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
United States	Sikorsky CH-53K	15.876	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt (radius w/1,2247 kg)
Italy	Alenia C-27J Spartan	11.6 max	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt (w/4,536 kg payload)
United States	Boeing CH-47 Chinook	10.886	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt (combat radius)
United States	Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey	10	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt (w/3,485 kg payload)
Spain	Airbus C295	7 (9.25 max)	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt (w/2,940 kg payload)

• The Sikorsky CH-53K
  The Sikorsky CH-53K
• A 1970s Ilyushin Il-76 airlifter designed for both strategic and tactical military operations
  A 1970s Ilyushin Il-76 airlifter designed for both strategic and tactical military operations
• From top to bottom, a size comparison of the C-160, C-130J, C-130J-30, C-390, A400M and C-17
  From top to bottom, a size comparison of the C-160, C-130J, C-130J-30, C-390, A400M and C-17

See also

• Airlift
• Cargo aircraft
• Liaison aircraft
• List of military transport aircraft
• Loadmaster
• Troop ship

Further reading

• Richard Aboulafia (Jun 7, 2018). "Opinion: Why Military Transports Are Less Popular Than You'd Expect". Aviation Week & Space Technology.