Throughput Lost

The ability to move our forces to engage the enemy at the time and place of our choosing has placed a tremendous premium on rapid global mobility. Developing a strategic airlift fleet to match the demands of the US National Security Strategy culminated in the development of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. The aircraft's performance during the Global War on Terror (GWOT) has created an insatiable need to purchase additional aircraft. Its ability to deliver outsize cargo directly to the warfighter in Northern Iraq, and supply our troops in the landlocked county of Afghanistan during OEF is a true testament of the airplane's versatility. The need for military owned strategic airlift has never been as obvious as during OEF and OIF. Flying into combat zones, utilizing night vision goggles and executing combat tactics substantiates the need to maintain this capability. The drive for additional C-17s stems from studies that determined the requirements of our nation to move our forces forward to fight and win our nation's wars. Fighting two Major Theater Wars (MTWs) and providing other high priority airlift requires 54.5 Million Ton Miles per day (MTM/D) per the most recent study.