The Air Force wants its future strategic airlifter to be able to fly farther and carry more compared to its C-17A Globemaster III and C-5M Super Galaxy, according to a request for information released on Friday.

The Next Generation Airlift program “seeks to identify and mature the technologies and concepts necessary to field a platform that offers significant advancements in capacity, range, efficiency, connectivity, survivability, and operational flexibility over current systems,” according to the notice.

The Air Force “has a continuing need to maintain and enhance its global strategic airlift capabilities to support force projection, humanitarian relief, and special operations across the full spectrum of military operations,” it added.

The service is asking aircraft manufacturers to submit responses to the market survey regarding their ability to not only build an airlifter that fits within baseline requirements but also explain what kinds of innovative technologies may be available.

Although the Air Force is still in the early requirements writing process for its NGAL platform, the notice says the next airlifter should:

• Have a wingspan less than 223 feet.
• Be able to carry a minimum payload of 160,000 pounds over a distance of at least 2,500 nautical miles without refueling.

Those parameters are defined by the current physical constraints of existing global airfield infrastructure, including taxiways, hangars and parking ramps, the Air Force wrote.

The idea is to ensure seamless integration into current mobility operations.

“The specified payload and range parameters are baseline mission imperatives for effective power projection and logistics support,” according to the service.

Friday’s notice comes as the Air Force is kicking off an “accelerated” analysis of alternatives for NGAL in fiscal year 2027, next year’s budget request documents state. The service is asking for about $8.9 million in FY-27 to begin the AOA and other concept refinement activities.

NGAL is projected to fully replace the more than 50-year-old C-5M fleet tentatively in FY-50, the documents note.

Vendors are asked to suggest a propulsion system for its candidate aircraft, describe the maximum cargo capacity for its concept and explain what kinds of defensive systems may already be on board the platform, among other things. Responses are due by July 17.