Why The US Air Force Is In The Market For A Smaller Airlifter Than The C-130 Hercules

The United States operates large airlifters like the C-17 Globemaster III and the C-5M Super Galaxy. But the workhorse of the Air Mobility Command is the tactical C-130J Super Hercules (and its older Hercules relative). But as threats change and the US is ever-more focused on a war with China, the Air Force is now looking for something smaller.