US Air Force to fit C-17 fleet with digital cockpit under $266.6m contract
Boeing will overhaul the C-17 Globemaster III's cockpit avionics under a new contract, replacing legacy systems as the Air Force plans to keep the fleet flying until 2075.
Boeing has won a $266.6 million contract, awarded in December 2025, to overhaul cockpit avionics on the US Air Force's C-17 Globemaster III fleet, according to the source report. The work will replace mission computers and multifunction displays, both of which are expected to run out of available spare parts by fiscal year 2027.
The new systems will be built around a Modular Open Systems Architecture. The report said this approach is meant to let the Air Force update individual components more easily in future, rather than replacing entire systems at once.
The upgrade covers the full fleet of 275 C-17 aircraft. The Air Force wants to keep the transport aircraft flying until at least 2075, and that long horizon was cited as the reason for choosing a lasting sustainability fix over a short-term parts replacement.
The available information gives no timeline for installation across the fleet. It also does not say which specific avionics suppliers or subcontractors will take part, beyond confirming Boeing's role as prime contractor.
Sources
- simpleflying.comWhy The C-17 Globemaster Is Getting A Complete Digital Cockpit Overhaul To Fly Until 2075