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By Kendra Ablaza, Staff Writer

February 5, 2013 - In transition to more technologically-advanced airlifters, the Memphis Air National Guard Base in Tennessee received its second Boeing C-17 Globemaster III on February 2. The base’s 164th Airlift Wing unit plans to replace its C-5A Galaxy airlifters with eight C-17 airlifters by the end of 2014. Its first C-17 arrived in December 2012.

Boeing C-17 spokeswoman Cindy Anderson said Memphis is the third military air base to change over from the 50-year-old C-5A airlifters, following Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York. Anderson told the Business Journal that this switch would enhance each base’s mission, affordability and efficiency.

“It is so great at military, humanitarian and disaster relief missions,” Boeing C-17 spokeswoman Angie Yoshimura told the Business Journal. “It brings cargo and supplies to the front lines faster, and gets them where they need it.”

According to a statement, the C-17 features a payload of 164,900 pounds, can take off from a 7,000-foot airfield and land in 3,000 feet or less. Boeing has delivered 218 C-17s to the United States Air Force and 32 C-17s internationally to date.