Why Boeing May Restart A C-17 Globemaster Production Line It Shut Down 11 Years Ago

Boeing restarting C-17 Globemaster III production would mark a major shift for U.S. strategic airlift after the line shut down more than a decade ago. The War Zone reported in June 2026 that Congress directed the U.S. Air Force to brief on the feasibility of acquiring new Globemaster IIIs, with operators said to be encouraged by Boeing contacts. Boeing delivered the final C-17 in 2015 after producing 279 aircraft total, 223 for the U.S. Air Force, with the last U.S. airframe accepted in 2013. The USAF relies on the C-17 and C-5M for global power projection, and concerns have grown about sustaining the existing C-17 fleet. The competitive context includes Russia’s Il-76, China’s Y-20 and Europe’s A400M, leaving the U.S. without a recent strategic airlifter production restart since the C-17 shutdown.