The United States Air Force's fleet of ten GV(C-37A)s and seven G550(C-37B)s is set to be replaced by a new standard designated C-37C, comprising 17 aircraft, according to the service's fiscal year 2027 budget, beginning October 1, 2026. The air force expects to allocate USD2.19 billion for the programme through to fiscal year 2031, ending September 30, 2031.
Procurement is scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2027 with the acquisition of one C-37C for USD208 million, including USD203.6 million for the aircraft and USD4.4 million in support costs. Three additional aircraft are planned for 2028, followed by four in 2029, four in 2030, and five in 2031.
Of the seventeen C-37C aircraft planned, 16 are intended to replace the existing C-37A and C-37B fleets, while one will be assigned for training purposes.
The C-37C will be a commercial derivative aircraft with a range of up to 7,500 nautical miles (13,890 kilometres), accommodating up to five crew and 20 passengers in a VIP configuration, and equipped with integrated mission communications and self-defence systems.
The base platform for the C-37C has not been disclosed. However, given the continuation of the mission design series, a Gulfstream Aerospace aircraft is widely expected to serve as the foundation.
The C-37C will be operated by the Air Mobility Command (AMC) and assigned to executive airlift missions, including transport of senior government officials and military leadership. The aircraft will also support emerging national security requirements and broader capacity demands.
Currently, the air force operates ten C-37As built between 1998 and 2002, as well as seven C-37Bs, comprising three older units manufactured between 2006 and 2009 and five newer aircraft produced between 2018 and 2019. Most are based at Camp Springs, with smaller detachments at Hickam AFB in Hawaii and Ramstein in Germany.
In early 2026, the air force retired a GIV(C-20H) previously used for senior military and government passenger transport. This jet was the service's final VIP-configured GIV-based aircraft.
The service further operates a GIII(C-20E) used as a testbed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, alongside five G550(EA-37B) Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft.
Other United States military branches operate additional Gulfstream aircraft for executive transport, including the United States Marine Corps, the United States Navy, and the United States Coast Guard, which took delivery of the first of two newly acquired G700s in early 2026, assigned to VIP transport for coast guard leadership and senior officials of the United States Department of Homeland Security.
