The largest military transport in the U.S.'s arsenal is also one of the largest planes in the world. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the aptly named C-5 Galaxy, and it's been five decades worth celebrating.

With the ability to swallow 50-ton main battle tanks and deposit them on another continent, the Galaxy is an essential part of the global logistics system. As Air Force historian John Leland noted, the C-5 "symbolized the size, power, might and majesty of the United States Air Force," and it still does to this day. For a half-century, the Galaxy has kept America’s armed forces, allies, and far-flung scientists well supplied in the most remote corners of the Earth, and it will continue to do the job for the foreseeable future.