Joint operation, Volga-Dnepr crew and US Marines load equipment on an An-124 Ruslan aircraft at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Japan. Antonov, manufacturer of the An-124, says the aircraft can carry a 176,000lb payload 4,000 nautical miles.

Airmen offload an HH-60G Pave Hawk from a C-17 Globemaster III at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. This shot was taken at the end of May 2015 by which time US Air Force airlift aircraft had delivered 19,900 short tons of cargo throughout Afghanistan.

An HH-60G Pave Hawk waits to be loaded onto a C-5M Super Galaxy, the world's original strategic airlifter in service with the US Air Force since 1970. The C-5M is the latest variant powered by GE F138-GE-100 (CF6-80C2) engines and new components. According to Lockheed Martin, a C-5M Super Galaxy loaded with a 120,000 lb payload has a range of 5,250 nautical miles.

A C-17 Globemaster III showing the essence of airlift.

A heavy container plunges from the back of a C-17 Globemaster III during an airdrop using the container delivery system.