The C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft designed, developed and manufactured by the American Company Lockheed. To meet a USAF Military AirTransport Service (MATS) requirement for a very large strategic transport to complement the Lockheed C-141, and with the ability to operate from the same airfields, Lockheed's design proposal was selected in October 1965, to be powered by a new General Electric turbofan engine for which a development contract had been placed two months earlier. Construction of the prototype began in August 1966, by which time the aircraft had been designated Lockheed C-5A Galaxy, and this flew for the first time on 30 June 1968. The first operational example was delivered to Military Airlift Command (MAC) on 17 December 1969 and a total of 81 were built to equip four squadrons. The C-5 Galaxy is capable of carrying nearly every type of the Army's combat equipment, including bulky items such as the 74 short tons (67 t) armored vehicle launched bridge (AVLB), from the United States to any location on the globe. A C-5 is capable of transporting up to six Boeing AH-64 Apaches or five Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The C-5 Galaxy is one of the largest aircraft in the world and the largest airlifter in the United States Air Force inventory. The aircraft can carry a fully equipped combat-ready military unit to any point in the world on short notice and then provide the supplies required to help sustain the fighting force.