Halvorsen Military Loader

The Halvorsen Loader is a 25,000-pound capacity, next-generation small cargo loader built by JBT AeroTech (formerly FMC Airport Systems) for the United States Air Force’s, Air Mobility Command (AMC).

Selected by the U.S. Air Force to replace all of its existing 25K capacity cargo loaders, the Halvorsen is designed for deployment in less than 30 minutes and is air transportable on the military’s smallest cargo aircraft. The Air Force uses the Halvorsen in air cargo operations at air bases and in mobile airlift support units known as Airlift Squadrons. 

The Halvorsen is the first of a new generation of Air Force loaders developed to replace 1960s and ‘70s technology for loading and unloading modern aircraft.  The loader can reach heights ranging from 39 inches to 222 inches, the highest reach of any loader available.  It is the first small loader capable of reaching the cargo doors of both military and commercial aircraft.     

In developing the Halvorsen, JBT AeroTech focused on operational capability, maintainability and reliability. Operators praise the Halvorsen for its maneuverability, quick buildup/breakdown time and comfort. The loader is also specially engineered for ease of maintenance, and it has already established an outstanding record for reliability. 

The loader is manufactured at JBT AeroTech facilities in Orlando, Florida.

The first Halvorsen 25K loader was delivered to the U.S. Air Force in December 2000, and it was officially placed in service in June 2001.

The Halvorsen Loader is named for famed candy bomber Colonel Gail S. Halvorsen (USAF-Retired) who dropped more than 250,000 candy-laden parachutes to the children of Berlin during the blockade following World War II.