F117
FieldedEngine
Four engines; the USAF identifies the installed variant as F117-PW-100.
Link Confirmed
Aircraft · Air
C-17 Globemaster III
Transport aircraft for strategic delivery, tactical airlift and airdrop.
by Boeing · First fielded 1993
FieldedAircraftAirInitial operating capabilityJan 17, 1995
af.mil/about-us/fact-sheets/display/article/1529726/c-17-globemaster-iii- Milestones4
- Operators8
- Components1
- Programs—
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Photo: Photo by Balon Greyjoy via Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 · Resized and reencoded as WebP; no additional crop.
Milestones19811995
Timeline4
- MilestoneConfirmed
Earliest documented public appearance: published C-17 rendering
Earliest supported public appearance found in the sources reviewed for this research; not a claim of the first-ever announcement or original unveiling. Earlier evidence may revise this date. A named rendering appears on printed p. 137 of the December 1981 Air Force Magazine supplement. Uses publication-month precision and replaces the earlier inferred 1981 unveiling record.
- First flightConfirmed
C-17 maiden flight
- First deliveryConfirmed
First production C-17 delivered
- Initial operating capabilityConfirmed
First C-17 squadron operationally ready
The latest 10 milestones. Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.
Operators8
- AUAustralia
- CACanada
- INIndia
- KWKuwait
- QAQatar
- AEUnited Arab Emirates
- GBUnited Kingdom
- USUnited States
- First fielded
- 1993
Cost to the Government
Aircraft · Boeing / McDonnell Douglas
C-17A Globemaster III
Strategic and tactical airlift with a large U.S. fleet and international operators sharing a global sustainment program.
Reported aircraft unit cost
$202.3M
FY1998 dollar basis · Constant FY1998 USD
Air Force fact-sheet figure; not the price of restarting the production line.
U.S. Air Force ↗Published U.S. inventory
222
Air Force fact sheet, reviewed 2026-10 · U.S. only
157 active + 47 Air National Guard + 18 Reserve; page does not establish a 2026 census.
U.S. Air Force ↗Program quantity
Not verified
A separate acquisition quantity has not been verified.
Development program total
Not verified
A separately scoped historical development total has not been verified.
Sustainment is a separate purchase
The global support contract includes services over multiple years. It cannot be divided by U.S. inventory to produce the acquisition price of a C-17.
Operations & sustainment
Annual O&S / aircraft
$16.04M / yr
FY2018 · Constant FY2018 USD
GAO historical operating and support costs; fleet average, not a current-year estimate.
GAO ↗Cost over time · 2 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2011 | Annual O&S / aircraft Same GAO inflation-adjusted series. Changes can reflect fleet size and maintenance cycles. | $27.05M / yr | Constant FY2018 USD | GAO ↗ |
| FY2018 | Annual O&S / aircraft GAO historical operating and support costs; fleet average, not a current-year estimate. | $16.04M / yr | Constant FY2018 USD | GAO ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 1 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
2021-09-28 · Maximum IDIQ sustainment value
U.S. Air Force / global sustainment customers → Boeing
$23.8B · quantity not established
G3 support through 2031; ceiling is not obligations, spending, or aircraft procurement.
DoD Inspector General ↗
International buyers
Australia · Quantity not verified · Documented operator · 2021-09-29
Boeing identifies this operator in the global sustainment program; fleet quantity is not established by this source.
Boeing ↗Canada · Quantity not verified · Documented operator · 2021-09-29
Boeing identifies this operator in the global sustainment program; fleet quantity is not established by this source.
Boeing ↗India · Quantity not verified · Documented operator · 2021-09-29
Boeing identifies this operator in the global sustainment program; fleet quantity is not established by this source.
Boeing ↗Kuwait · Quantity not verified · Documented operator · 2021-09-29
Boeing identifies this operator in the global sustainment program; fleet quantity is not established by this source.
Boeing ↗Qatar · Quantity not verified · Documented operator · 2021-09-29
Boeing identifies this operator in the global sustainment program; fleet quantity is not established by this source.
Boeing ↗United Arab Emirates · Quantity not verified · Documented operator · 2021-09-29
Boeing identifies this operator in the global sustainment program; fleet quantity is not established by this source.
Boeing ↗United Kingdom · Quantity not verified · Documented operator · 2021-09-29
Boeing identifies this operator in the global sustainment program; fleet quantity is not established by this source.
Boeing ↗Strategic Airlift Capability (12-nation fleet) · Quantity not verified · Documented operator · 2021-09-29
Boeing identifies this operator in the global sustainment program; fleet quantity is not established by this source.
Boeing ↗
Coverage & open research
- Separately scoped historical R&D total remains unverified; missing is not zero.
- Quantity and cost figures retain their source dates. Historical snapshots are not a census of operational availability on the review date.
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.