Saving the Galaxy: The C-5 AMP/RERP Program
08-Oct-2007 19:44
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When it was introduced, back in 1970, the C-5 Galaxy was the largest plane in the world. A second construction program in 1981-1986 delivered 50 more; 4 have been lost in crashes, for a total fleet of 126. Each C-5 aircraft can carry 265,000 pounds of cargo for 4,000 miles (roughly double that of the newer C-17A), or 125,000 pounds for 8,000 miles. Its hinged nose can even be raised to make loading or unloading easier, and the Galaxy's ability to lift even the heaviest main battle tanks into theater made it a critical part of the transatlantic air bridge that would reinforce Europe in the event of a Russian attack.
During the 2003 run-up to Operation Iraqi Freedom I, C-5s proved their worth again as they helped clear logistics bottlenecks in Europe. Even so, the fleet is not without its issues. The C-5 has the highest operating cost of any Air Force weapon system, and those costs stem from extremely high maintenance demands as well as poor fuel economy. Availability rates routinely hover near 50%. To add insult to injury, the Russians not only built a bigger plane (the AN-124), they sold it off at the end of the Cold War to semi-private operators, turning it into a commercial success whose customer list now includes… NATO.
Meanwhile, the USA needs long-range, heavy load airlift. The AN-124's commercial success may get its production line restarted, but the C-5 has no such hope. With C-17s running over $200 million per plane. That isn't far from the cost of a 747-8 freighter, but it's still a lot of money. The Air Force believed it could save money by upgrading the older C-5s to renew their avionics (AMP) and engines (RERP). Their hope is that this will eliminate the problems that keep so many C-5s in the hangar, cut down on future maintenance costs, and grow airlift capacity without adding new planes. The plan currently involves converting C-5Bs and up to the modernized C-5M, as the USAF is not yet certain that the upgrades will succeed in meeting readiness goals on the older C-5As. To complicate matters, the program is program experiencing major cost growth, and a battle is brewing between C-5M and C-17 supporters in Congress.
DID's FOCUS Article explains why the C-5 AMP/RERP program is such a challenging project, and covers developments on the political and contracting fronts…
The C-5's AMP-RERP Program
More on link
08-Oct-2007 19:44
Article Link
When it was introduced, back in 1970, the C-5 Galaxy was the largest plane in the world. A second construction program in 1981-1986 delivered 50 more; 4 have been lost in crashes, for a total fleet of 126. Each C-5 aircraft can carry 265,000 pounds of cargo for 4,000 miles (roughly double that of the newer C-17A), or 125,000 pounds for 8,000 miles. Its hinged nose can even be raised to make loading or unloading easier, and the Galaxy's ability to lift even the heaviest main battle tanks into theater made it a critical part of the transatlantic air bridge that would reinforce Europe in the event of a Russian attack.
During the 2003 run-up to Operation Iraqi Freedom I, C-5s proved their worth again as they helped clear logistics bottlenecks in Europe. Even so, the fleet is not without its issues. The C-5 has the highest operating cost of any Air Force weapon system, and those costs stem from extremely high maintenance demands as well as poor fuel economy. Availability rates routinely hover near 50%. To add insult to injury, the Russians not only built a bigger plane (the AN-124), they sold it off at the end of the Cold War to semi-private operators, turning it into a commercial success whose customer list now includes… NATO.
Meanwhile, the USA needs long-range, heavy load airlift. The AN-124's commercial success may get its production line restarted, but the C-5 has no such hope. With C-17s running over $200 million per plane. That isn't far from the cost of a 747-8 freighter, but it's still a lot of money. The Air Force believed it could save money by upgrading the older C-5s to renew their avionics (AMP) and engines (RERP). Their hope is that this will eliminate the problems that keep so many C-5s in the hangar, cut down on future maintenance costs, and grow airlift capacity without adding new planes. The plan currently involves converting C-5Bs and up to the modernized C-5M, as the USAF is not yet certain that the upgrades will succeed in meeting readiness goals on the older C-5As. To complicate matters, the program is program experiencing major cost growth, and a battle is brewing between C-5M and C-17 supporters in Congress.
DID's FOCUS Article explains why the C-5 AMP/RERP program is such a challenging project, and covers developments on the political and contracting fronts…
The C-5's AMP-RERP Program
More on link
