The US Air Force’s latest variant of the C-5 Galaxy aircraft, the C-5M Super Galaxy is being equipped with four CF6-80C2 engines by GE Aviation.

The aircraft, scheduled to be launched at Oshkosh AirVenture in 2009, is one of three C-5Ms delivered to the USAF.

GE Aviation Military Systems vice president Allen Paxson said that the CF6-80C2 had consistently shown the lowest specific fuel consumption of any engine in its class.

The addition of the engine is the second phase of the reliability enhancement and re-engining programme (RERP), a two-phase modernisation effort.

The engines will provide an additional 40,000lb of thrust to improve performace as well as improve fuel efficiency allowing the C-5M to complete some missions in a single flight instead of multiple missions.