Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company celebrated the 50th anniversary of the C-5 Galaxy strategic transport on June 26 at the company’s Marietta, Georgia, facility. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal served as the principal speaker for the event, which was attended by Lockheed Martin employees, elected officials and representatives from the U.S. Air Force. 

The C-5 Galaxy strategic transport has been operated solely by the U.S. Air Force since 1970. All production C-5s were built at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta site. The first C-5A rolled out of the Marietta facility on March 2, 1968, at a ceremony with U.S. President Lyndon Johnson in attendance. The first C-5 made its initial flight on June 30, 1968.

A total of 131 C-5s were built between 1968-1975 (81 C-5As) and 1985 and 1989 (50 C‑5Bs). The C-5 is the largest aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory, and is capable of carrying two 78-ton M1A1 main battle tanks or helicopters and other large equipment intercontinental distances. Fully loaded, a C-5 has a gross weight of more than 800,000 pounds.

In 2006, the Air Force awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to modernize 52 C-5 Galaxy through the U.S. Air Force’s Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP).

The C-5 RERP incorporates 70+ improvements and extends the aircraft’s service life to at least 2045. C‑5M modernization provides greatly improved reliability, efficiency, maintainability and availability, while ensuring this critical national strategic airlift resource continues serving the warfighter well into the 21st century.

The final RERP C-5 served as the backdrop for today’s ceremony and it will be delivered to the 439^th Airlift Wing, the Air Force Reserve Command unit at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts, in the coming weeks. C-5Ms are also based at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware; Travis Air Force Base, California; and Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.