The six military cargo aircraft that can carry the most weight on Earth

The six military aircraft with the highest payload capacity ever built range from the 550,000-pound Antonov An-225 Mriya down to the 115,000-pound Ilyushin Il-76. Of these six heavylifters, only three are still in active production today, and the single largest — the An-225 — was destroyed in 2022 and has no replacement on the horizon.

1. Antonov An-225 Mriya — 550,000 lb (250 metric tons)

The Antonov An-225 Mriya holds the all-time record for military aircraft payload capacity. Designed in the 1980s by the Antonov Design Bureau in Soviet Ukraine, it was purpose-built to carry the Buran space shuttle on its back. The An-225 featured six Ivchenko-Progress D-18T turbofan engines, a wingspan of 290 feet, and a maximum takeoff weight exceeding 1.3 million pounds.

Only one An-225 was ever completed. It was destroyed in February 2022 during the opening hours of the conflict in Ukraine at Hostomel Airport outside Kyiv. Ukraine has discussed rebuilding it, but the effort would be enormous. As of now, the Mriya exists only in the record books. The heaviest-lifting military airframe ever built is gone, with no replacement in its payload class on the horizon.

2. Antonov An-124 Ruslan — 330,000 lb (150 metric tons)

The Antonov An-124 Ruslan comes from the same design bureau and Soviet-Ukrainian heritage as the Mriya but tells a very different story. Designed in the early 1980s as a strategic heavy airlift transport, it carries approximately 330,000 pounds using four D-18T engines from the same powerplant family as its larger sibling. Its distinctive upward-hinging nose door allows it to swallow helicopters and tanks whole.

Russia has attempted to restart An-124 production at the Aviastar plant in Ulyanovsk with a modernized variant, but international sanctions and the breakdown in Ukrainian-Russian cooperation have complicated that effort. The existing fleet is aging, and the parts supply chain — historically dependent on Ukrainian manufacturers — is fractured. The An-124 remains operational in Russian military and commercial charter roles, but its long-term future is uncertain.

3. Lockheed Martin C-5M Super Galaxy — 281,000 lb (127 metric tons)

The C-5M Super Galaxy is the largest aircraft in the United States military inventory. The C-5 lineage dates back to 1970 with the original C-5A, and the current M variant completed a re-engining and modernization program that paired new General Electric CF6-80C2 engines with modern avionics. It carries approximately 281,000 pounds — enough for two M1 Abrams main battle tanks.

The cargo compartment is 121 feet long and over 19 feet wide, with full-length drive-on, drive-off capability through both nose and tail doors. The C-5M fleet is operated by Air Mobility Command and based at installations including Dover, Travis, and Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Lockheed Martin is no longer building new C-5s, but the modernized fleet is expected to serve into the 2040s. Pilots operating near C-5 bases should note that the wake turbulence category alone demands generous spacing.

4. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III — 170,900 lb (77.5 metric tons)

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III redefined what a single airlifter could do by combining strategic range with tactical field performance. Its 170,900-pound payload capacity is lower than the C-5’s, but the C-17 can land on 3,500-foot strips of unimproved dirt and gravel — runways completely out of the question for larger transports. It achieves this through thrust reversers, externally blown flaps, and a powered direct-lift system, all at a maximum gross weight exceeding 580,000 pounds.

Boeing produced 223 C-17s before the production line closed in 2015. The United States operates most of them, with additional aircraft serving the Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, India, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, and a multinational NATO consortium. The C-17 is arguably the most versatile heavy lifter in the world — it cannot carry as much as a C-5, but it can go places a C-5 cannot.

5. Airbus A400M Atlas — 81,600 lb (37 metric tons)

The Airbus A400M Atlas is the newest design on this list and the only turboprop among the six. Powered by four Europrop International TP400-D6 engines — the most powerful turboprops ever fitted to a Western military aircraft at over 11,000 shaft horsepower each — it carries roughly 81,600 pounds.

The A400M entered service in 2014 with the French Air Force and has since been delivered to Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Malaysia. It is still in active production, filling the gap between the C-17 and the C-130 Hercules with greater capacity and range than a Herc while retaining the ability to operate from semi-prepared strips. It also serves as an aerial refueling tanker for helicopters and tactical aircraft. The A400M program advanced turboprop technology and composite structures in ways that have filtered into the broader aerospace industry, influencing propeller designs and composite wing structures now appearing in general aviation aircraft.

6. Ilyushin Il-76 — 115,000 lb (52 metric tons)

The Ilyushin Il-76 first flew in 1971 and has been in continuous production in various forms ever since — making it one of the longest-running military transport programs in history. The modernized Il-76MD-90A variant, currently in production at Russia’s Aviastar plant, carries about 115,000 pounds using four Aviadvigatel PS-90A-76 engines and features glass cockpits and updated systems, though the fundamental airframe design is over 50 years old.

The Il-76 has been widely exported to India, China, Algeria, and other nations. It has served in roles ranging from military airlift and commercial cargo to Antarctic resupply missions and aerial firefighting as a water bomber.

What This List Reveals About Global Airlift Capacity

Of these six aircraft, only three are in active production: the A400M Atlas, the Il-76 in its modernized form, and arguably the An-124 if Russia sustains its restart effort. The two largest — the An-225 and the C-5 — are no longer being built. The C-17 line closed in 2015.

This points to a significant gap in global strategic airlift capability. These are enormously complex aircraft that take decades to design, certify, and produce. The loss of the only An-225 means the payload class above 250 metric tons simply has no active airframe and no replacement program underway.

Key Takeaways

• The An-225 Mriya holds the all-time payload record at 550,000 lb, but the sole completed airframe was destroyed in Ukraine in 2022 with no replacement planned.
• The C-5M Super Galaxy is the largest U.S. military aircraft and can carry two M1 Abrams tanks, with the fleet expected to serve into the 2040s.
• The C-17 Globemaster III trades raw payload for unmatched versatility, landing on austere 3,500-foot dirt strips at over 580,000 lb gross weight.
• Only three of the six heaviest military cargo aircraft are still in production: the A400M, the Il-76, and potentially the An-124.
• Strategic heavy airlift capacity cannot be quickly replaced — the engineering, certification, and production timelines span decades.