ref Rex’s 138 —

Beyond the Kyber, #69:

437 statute miles from Dubai to Gwadar,keeping south of Iranian airspace.
482 miles from Gwadar NW to Kandahar. 919 miles one way. No fuel at Kandahar, so 1838 miles round trip.

1,065 statute miles from Dubai across Iran to Bagram. No fuel at Bagram, so 2,130 mile round trip.

With a payload of 169,000 pounds (76,657 kilograms) and an initial cruise altitude of 28,000 feet (8,534 meters), the C-17 has an unrefueled range of approximately 2,400 nautical miles, or 2,762 statute miles, so they can do this, for a while, at enormous cost.

Inventory of C-17’s: Active duty, 158; Air National Guard, 8; Air Force Reserve, 8