Home Air US Air Force receives 14th C-37B special air mission aircraft

US Air Force receives 14th C-37B special air mission aircraft

C-37B special air mission aircraft
US Air Force photo of the new C-37B aircraft sits on the tarmac after its first night at Joint Base Andrews

The US Air Force’s 89th Airlift Wing, based at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, received the latest C-37B special air mission aircraft on March 25.

The 89th Airlift Wing provides global special air mission airlift, logistics, aerial port and communications for the president, vice president, cabinet members, combatant commanders and other senior military and elected leaders as tasked by the White House, Air Force chief of staff and Air Mobility Command.

The program will deliver two additional C-37Bs by the end of fiscal year ‘21 which will bring the fleet to 16 aircraft. The next delivery is expected in the third quarter of 2021.

The US Air Force is planning to buy up to 21 C-37Bs to replace the C-20B aircraft.

The C-37B is a twin-engine, turbofan aircraft acquired to fill the worldwide special air missions for high-ranking government and defense department officials. The C-37B is based upon the high-altitude, intercontinental Gulfstream 550 aircraft. With a crew of five, the aircraft can carry 12 passengers, with a range of 6,750 nautical miles (7,768 miles).

“I’m proud our team is showing the Air Force stands ready to meet our mission,” said Brig. Gen. Ryan Britton, Air Force program executive officer for Presidential and Executive Airlift. “We are taking care of our people, doing all we can to flatten the COVID-19 curve while maintaining our mission-focus on delivering capability to the warfighter.”