Fastest transport aircraft

18 of the 20 transport aircraft in the WeaponSpecs database publish a max speed figure. Ranked on the published number alone, highest first, with no weighting and no composite score. The 2 transport aircraft with no published figure are not ranked, absent data is never treated as a low value.

4 of the 18 entries below (China, Russia) rest on manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, marked † in the table. Treat their position in this ranking as directional, not tested.

Fastest transport aircraft, ranked by published max speed
#	System	Max speed	Source
1	Kawasaki P-1 Kawasaki Heavy Industries	996 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
2	Embraer C-390 Millennium Embraer Defense & Security	988 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-05
3	Y-20 † Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC)	920 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
4	C-5M Super Galaxy Lockheed Martin	917 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
5	KC-46 Pegasus Boeing	915 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
6	Kawasaki C-2 Kawasaki Heavy Industries	890 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
7	A330 MRTT Airbus Defence and Space	880 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-26
8	Il-76MD-90A † Ilyushin	850 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
9	Il-78M † Ilyushin	850 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
10	C-17 Globemaster III Boeing	830 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
11	Y-9 † Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC)	650 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
12	C-130J Super Hercules Lockheed Martin	644 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
13	AC-130J Ghostrider Lockheed Martin	644 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
14	C-295 Airbus Defence and Space	480 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02
15	MTVR (Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement) Oshkosh Defense	105 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-19
16	HEMTT M977 Oshkosh Defense	100 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-04
17	PLS A2 (Palletized Load System) Oshkosh Defense	100 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-08-02
18	FMTV A2 (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles) Oshkosh Defense	94 km/h	reference ↗ checked 2026-07-19

Compiled from public manufacturer, defense-ministry and reference sources. Published defense figures are approximations and are often stated under different conditions, so treat this ordering as directional rather than a tested result. A board is only generated where at least 5 systems in the class publish the figure. How we compile specs →

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Other transport aircraft rankings

Range Service ceiling Engine power Thrust Cargo payload Troop capacity Unit cost Units built Operator countries

Max speed in other classes

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