Boeing C-17 Globemaster III The United Kingdom Ministry of Defense has announced that it intends to lease four Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft for the Royal Air Force, making Britain the first international customer for the airlifter. The C-17 is a jet-powered cargo airplane capable of carrying up to 169,000 pounds intercontinental distances, yet can land on small austere fields as short as 3,000 feet.