Military Cargo Aircraft

Images of large military cargo planes, including C-141 and C-17 models, in various preparation and operational contexts, highlighting their roles in humanitarian and military missions.

E-3 Awacs in flight

The first C-17 Globemaster III delivered to the Air Force's 437th Airlift Wing, on 14 Jun 93, sits on the ramp, silhouetted by the rising sun. Base: Charleston Air Force Base State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

The Breguet BR1150 Atlantic (SP-13A) maritime patrol range 255 (1971-1981) in the air.

A MiG-29A Fulcrum aircraft, left, and a MiG-29UB Fulcrum aircraft, right, are refueled by an IL-76MD Candid-B aircraft during a stop at the base. The Soviet are en route to an air show in Canada. Base: Elmendorf Air Force Base State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DF-ST-88-05144. Base: English Channel

Tu-95MS strategic bomber of the Russian Air Force flying over Moscow region, Russia.

DF-ST-86-08014. Base: Cairo West Country: Egypt (EGY)

An-22 Antei heavy transport aircraft of the Russian Air Force taking off.

A C-130H Hercules aircraft assigned to the 910th Airlift Wing takes off from Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, Sept. 15, 2022. The formation flight was part of the 757th Airlift Squadron's annual TAC week, a condensed week of flight training highlighted by a six-aircraft formation flight.

A B-52H Stratofortress sits parked on the Main Parking Apron at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, Aug. 23, 2022. The first B-52H assigned to Minot AFB arrived on July 16, 1961.

Northrop Grumman Military Jets Grumman Fixed Wing Boeing Aviat Airplanes B-2A Spirit stealth bomber KC-135R Stratotanker in-flight refueling fuel transfer tanker boom sky

Straight on front view medium shot of a US Marine MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft as Marines from Bravo Company, 8th Marine Regiment, 1ST Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, load into the back of the aircraft at Marine Corps Air Station New River, Jacksonville, North Carolina. Base: Mcas, New River State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

041109-F-8170B-005. Base: Punta Del Este Country: Uruguay (URY)

A C-17 Globemaster III aircraft assigned to the 62nd Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, takes off at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, June 9, 2022. The C-17 was carrying an Mi-17 helicopter that the Department of Defense is delivering to aid Ukrainian troop movement around the battlefield.

C-27J Spartan cargo plane of the Royal Australian Air Force taking off.

President George W. Bush Visit - 26-HK-6-327. USA helicopter on ATC ramp. Hurricane Katrina

C130 military air forse transport plane on ground ready take off

The Antonov 124 cargo aircraft, carrying the United Launch Alliance booster for NASAs Mars Perseverance rover, taxis off the runway at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida on May 18, 2020. The Mars Perseverance rover is scheduled to launch in mid-July atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Pad 41 at CCAFS. The rover is part of NASAs Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The rover will search for habitable conditions in the ancient past and signs of past microbial life on Mars. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management.

Hercules transport aircraft, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, North America

Left Side Front View of a United States Air Force C-5B "Galaxy" on the tarmac of Mogadishu Airport. The nose of the aircraft is open and in the foreground are a small forklift and an aircraft cargo loader. This mission is in support of Operation Restore Hope. (Substandard image). Subject Operation/Series: RESTORE HOPE Base: Mogadishu Country: Somalia (SOM)

An-22 Antey military transport aircraft of the Russian Air Force in flight.

A Qatari C-17 taxies down the runway March 25, 2011, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey to refuel in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. UNSCR 1973 authorized all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya under threat of attack by Qadhafi regime forces. JTF Odyssey Dawn is commanded by U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, III.

A C-17 Globemaster III and a C-5M Super Galaxy sit on the flightline at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, Jan. 30, 2023. The Plans and Scheduling team oversees a total of 18 C-5M Super Galaxies and 13 C-17s at Dover AFB.

C-130E/H/J HerculesPrimary function: Global airlift. Speed: C-130E, 345 mph; C-130H, 366 mph; C-130J, 417 mph; C-130J-30, 410 mph. Dimensions: Wingspan 132 ft. 7 in.; length 97 ft. 9 in. (C-130J-30 length, 112 ft. 9 in.); height 38 ft. 10 in. Range: C-130E, 1,438 miles; C-130H, 1,496 miles; C-130J, 1,841 miles; C-130J-30, 2,417 miles. Crew: C-130E/H, five; C-130J, three.

A P-3C Orion aircraft of Patrol Squadron 47 (VP-47) is running up its engines on the flight line. Base: Naval Air Station, Barbers Point State: Hawaii (HI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Israeli Air Force C-130 Karnaf on the ramp at Nevatim Air Force Base.

NASA's historic B-52 mother ship carried the X-43A and its Pegasus booster rocket on a captive carry flight from Edwards Air Force Base Jan. 26, 2004. The X-43A and its booster remained mated to the B-52 throughout the two-hour flight, intended to check its readiness for launch. The hydrogen-fueled aircraft is autonomous and has a wingspan of approximately 5 feet, measures 12 feet long and weighs about 2,800 pounds.

A Halter Marine Mark V combatant craft is offloaded from a USAF C-5A Galaxy of the 439th Air Wing at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. It will undergo testing and evaluation on Tampa Bay. The 57-ton water jet-powered craft has a 5 man crew and can carry 16 SEALS. It has a 50 knot speed and 500 nautical mile range. Base: Jacksonville State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft arrives at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility with its cargo of the STSS Demonstrator SV-2 spacecraft. The spacecraft will be transferred to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The spacecraft is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator, part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency in late summer.

A B52H Stratofortress sits on the runway on Minot Air Force base, North Dakota, July 7, 2022. The B-52H is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions as well as fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.

An Air Force C-17A, a heavy-lift, air-refuelable cargo transport, on a ramp at the Long Beach Airport prior to its maiden flight. Base: Long Beach State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A U.S. Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker piloted by Col. Thomas Coppinger and Capt. Beau Deleon taxies after landing on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 12, 2022 during Coppinger's fini flight. Coppinger is retiring after 34 years and more than 5,000 flight hours.

041016-F-9429S-007. Base: Alpena State: Michigan (MI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Shot of the first C-141C Starlifter aircraft from the 452nd Air Mobility Wing, March Air Reserve Base, California, to land on the ice at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in support of Operation DEEP FREEZE. Subject Operation/Series: DEEP FREEZE Base: Mcmurdo Station Country: Antarctica (ATA)

Tu-95MS strategic bomber of the Russian Air Force taxiing.

An IL-76 Russian transport aircraft from Moscow arrives at Kigali Airport with a load of Canadian equipment and supplies in support of the relief effort. Subject Operation/Series: RESTORE HOPE Base: Kigali Country: Russia (RUS)

Cargo is being moved to the C-141 Starlifter. A team member drives the K-loader into position for transfer of its cargo, a Land Rover One Ten (4x4) light vehicle, onto the aircraft. Base: Raf Mildenhall Country: Great Britain / England (GBR)

View of a Russian Antonov AN-225 transport parked on the ramp at the Abbotsford Air Show. Exact Date Shot Unknown. State: British Columbia (BC) Country: Canada (CAN)

A left side view of an C-130T Hercules aircraft of Reserve Transport Squadron 48 (VR-48) as it takes off from the south runway on a training flight of the newly acquired transport. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Air show attendees walk into the tail end of a C-5 Galaxy static display aircraft during the Thunder and Lightning Over Arizona Air Show at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., March 26, 2023. Attendees were able to engage with the Airmen and learn about their missions as part of the air show.

A C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 317th Tactical Airlift Wing taxis along a dirt runway during Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia (SAU)

A KC-46APegasus from McConnell Air Force Base,Kansas stopped at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio for a routine stop and allowed base personnel to tour the aircraft Oct. 12, 2022.

A German Air Force Transall C-160 taxis on the runway at Kunduz Airport, Afghanistan. The C-160 arrived to drop off and pick up troops.

A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon.

A U.S. Air Force C-130H Hercules from North Carolina Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing takes off from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, in order to fight wildfires raging across the state, April 19, 2011. The C-130 is equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System(MAFFS) which is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under 5 seconds. The wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land.

An IL-76MD-90 transport airplane of the Russian Air Force.

A 7th Airlift Squadron (7th AS) C-141B Starlifter aircraft flies over the base. Base: Travis Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A B-52H Stratofortress take-off from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, during exercise Prairie Vigilance Sept. 22, 2022. Prairie Vigilance tests the 5th Bomb Wings ability to conduct strategic-bomber readiness operations.

Multiple B-52H Stratofortresses sit parked at the flight line on Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, Aug. 8, 2022. The B-52 bomber can carry approximately 70,000 pounds of bombs, mines and missiles.

A U.S. Navy P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

A right side view of an E-3 AWACS aircraft assigned to the 962nd Airborne Air Control, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska parked on the Elmendorf AFB flight line. Base: Elmendorf Air Force Base State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-K, is off-loaded from a military transport aircraft after its arrival at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Launch of the TDRS-K on the Atlas V rocket is planned for January 29, 2013. The TDRS-K spacecraft is part of the next-generation series in the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, a constellation of space-based communication satellites providing tracking, telemetry, command and high-bandwidth data return services.

A right side view of a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft parked on the flight line. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A high angle view of the nose section on a United States Air Force C-141 "Starlifter" as it refuels in-flight during a mission to support Operation UNOSOM II. Subject Operation/Series: UNOSOM II Country: Unknown

Aircraft landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Asia India Copyright: xMukeshxParpiani/DinodiaxPhotox

After a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, ground crews offload NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft designed to land on Mars. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

AN air-to-air right front view of a C-141B Starlifter aircraft with the new European paint scheme. The aircraft is nicknamed "Green Lizard". Base: Southern California Desert State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DF-ST-86-09485. Country: Unknown

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2013) A P-8A Poseidon assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 is seen in flight over Jacksonville, Fla.

A U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender taxies out to the runway prior to take off at Travis Air Force Base, California, April 12, 2022. The KC-10 is an aerial refueling tanker capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations. The KC-10 can transport up to 75 people and nearly 170,000 pounds.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 7, 2021: Avia parade in Moscow. Ilyushin Il-76 multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifters fly in the sky on parade of Victory in World War II in Moscow, Russia MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 7, 2021: Avia parade in Moscow. Ilyushin Il-76 multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifters fly in the sky on parade of Victory in World War II in Moscow, Russia Copyright: xZoonar.com/AlexanderxStrelax 17096896

A left front view of a C-130E Hercules aircraft parked on the flight line ramp. In the background three east area high-rise apartment buildings are under construction. Base: Yokota Air Base Country: Japan (JPN)

A C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft from Charleston AF Base, South Carolina taxis at McGhee Tyson ANG Base, Tennessee after landing. The 134th Air Refueling Wing is home to the KC-135R Stratotanker refueling aircraft.

Israeli Air Force C-130 Karnaf taking off.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the early morning light, the mated Pegasus XL and Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite are seen near the Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The GALEX, to be launched April 28 from the L-1011, will carry into space an orbiting telescope that will observe a million galaxies across 10 billion years of cosmic history to help astronomers determine when the stars and elements we see today had their origins. The spacecraft will sweep the skies for 28 months using state-of-the-art ultraviolet detectors to single out galaxies dominated by young, hot, short-lived stars that give off a great deal of energy at that wavelength. These galaxies are actively creating stars, and therefore provide a window into the history and causes of star formation in galaxies.

A C-17 Globemaster III taxis down the runway upon returning to Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Oct. 1, 2022, after relocating in preparation for Hurricane Ian. To carry on the rapid global mobility mission, all of Team Charlestons C-17s were either secured in a hangar or relocated prior to the storms landfall.

A C-17 Globemaster III taxis down the runway upon returning to Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Oct. 1, 2022, after relocating in preparation for Hurricane Ian. To carry on the rapid global mobility mission, all of Team Charlestons C-17s were either secured in a hangar or relocated prior to the storms landfall.

041016-F-9429S-019. Base: Alpena State: Michigan (MI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider gunship from the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., performs an aerial demonstration over the Ohio River in downtown Louisville, Ky., April 23, 2022 as part of the Thunder Over Louisville air show. This years event celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force.

A forklift is used to load pallets of supplies on a 63rd Air Wing C-141B Starlifter aircraft. In the last mission of this type for the 63rd, the supplies will be airdropped to McCurdo Station, Antarctica. Base: Christchurch State: Canterbury Country: New Zealand (NZL)

IL-76MD transport airplane of the Russian Air Force performing go around.

An air-to-air left side view of a Soviet An-26 Curl aircraft. The aircraft is participating in recovery operations for downed Korean Air Lines Flight 007, shot down by a Soviet aircraft when it entered Soviet airspace. Country: Sea Of Japan

An-124 Ruslan military transport aircraft of the Russian Air Force landing.

A line of C-130 Hercules line the ramp at Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station, Puerto Rico. The C-130s, along with C-141s, and C-5s are here picking up and delivering cargo and passengers, day and night, in support of Phoenix Shark Exact Date Shot Unknown. Subject Operation/Series: PHOENIX SHARK Base: Nas, Roosevelt Roads State: Puerto Rico (PR) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A 737-7ES Wedgetail airborne early warning and control airplane of Australian Air Force.

An air-to-air front view of an EP-3E Orion aircraft from Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 2 (VQ-2) in flight.

A left side view of an RC-130 Hercules aircraft on the flightline prior to flying a practice rescue mission off the coast of California. The aircraft is assigned to the 129th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group of the Air National Guard. Base: Hayward State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DF-ST-85-02985. State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A U.S. Air Force U-2S landing at Beale Air Force Base, California.

Aerial view of an AC-130H flying over the sea

040503-F-2621S-002. Base: Toledo Express Airport (TOL) State: Ohio (OH) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A 737 AEW&C of the Turkish Air Force.

C-130s line the ramp at Aerodrom Split. Subject Operation/Series: PROVIDE PROMISE Base: Split Country: Croatia (HRV)

U.S. Air Force aircraft parked on the ramp at Travis Air Force Base, California, April 12, 2022. Ten KC-46A Pegasus tankers and eight KC-135RT Stratotankers were relocated to Travis AFB from McConnell AFB as a precaution due to the possibility of severe weather impacting the Wichita area.

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, taxis on the flightline at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, on Oct. 19, 2022. RAF Mildenhall is the only U.S. air refueling wing in the European theatre.

Cost Guard HC-130 Hercules Airplane circa 1985.

Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) artisans transport an MV-22 Osprey in preparation for ground turn which is an essential operational test of all of the aircrafts systems and components. This is one of the last major steps that must be accomplished before this aircraft can be determined to be Safe for Flight. FRCE artisans tackled corrosion on the aircrafts K-fittings and replaced the stow ring. Both procedures were conducted with the wing off, rather than the standard wing-on method. This marked the first completion of these procedures by a naval aviation depot. (Photo by Joe Andes, Fleet Readiness Center East Public Affairs)

NASA Monsoon Multidisciplinary analysis (NAMMA) deployment, Sal Island, Cape Verde Africia DC-8 NAMMA MISSION TO CAPE VERDE, AFRICA close-up of one of the external wingtip probes used on baord NASA's DC-8 during the deployment.

An air-to-air right side view of the B-1B test program aircraft banking to the left. Base: Edwards Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A KC-46A Pegasus assigned to McConnell Air Force Base sits on an aircraft ramp after a hot pit refuel at Yokota Air Base, Japan, June 10, 2022.

Israeli Air Force C-130 Karnaf aircraft at Nevatim Airbase.

A Slovak Air Force An-26 taxiing at Izmir Air Station, Turkey.

A 910th Airlift Wing aerial spray modified C-130H Hercules sprays water from its training modular aerial spray system during an aerial spray demonstration, Jan. 10, 2024, at the Manatee County Regional Airport, Florida. The aerial spray demonstration was held as part of the combined Department of Defense Category 11 Pesticide Applicator Training and Certification Course and Florida Mosquito Control Association fly-in.

The sun sets on the final C-130H Hercules left at the 179th Airlift Wing at Mansfield Lahm ANGB, Ohio, July 6, 2022. This aircraft, tail 88-4401, will retire and become a static display at the MAPS Air Museum (Military Aviation Preservation Society), an internationally known museum of aviation in North Canton, Ohio. After being selected to become the nation's first Air National Guard Cyber Wing, the unit is transitioning from flying the C-130H Hercules to a new mission assigned to Air Combat Command.

USA, Wisconsin, Oshkosh, AirVenture 2016, Boeing Centennial Plaza, Lockheed C-5 Super Galaxy Of the 312 Airlift Squadron, USAF

Atlantic Ocean, October 31, 2005 - An E-2C Hawkeye conducts a touch-and-go landing on the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. Enterprise and embarked Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) are currently conducting carrier qualifications and Tailored Ship's Training Availability (TSTA) in the Atlantic Ocean.

isolated military airplane over white background

A HC-144B Ocean Spray from Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is parked on the flightline, May 5, 2022, on Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The HC-144B is a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft, and one of the displays at the 2022 Legacy of Liberty Air Show and Open House, and is used for search and rescue and maritime patrol missions.

IL-18V airliner of Russian Air Force taking off from Russia.

Head on shot of the first C-141C Starlifter aircraft from the 452nd Air Mobility Wing, March Air Reserve Base, California, to land on the ice at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in support of Operation DEEP FREEZE. Subject Operation/Series: DEEP FREEZE Base: Mcmurdo Station Country: Antarctica (ATA)

Airbus A400 transport aircraft of the German Air Force, landing at Cologne/Bonn airport, CGN, belongs to the air transport squadron 62 air refueling probe, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

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