Radia Taps Former USAF General to Steer Giant WindRunner for Defense Logistics

AURORA, Colo. – February 19, 2026 – By Laura Harris

Aerospace developer Radia has appointed retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Rick Moore, a former top Pentagon strategist, as an advisor, a move that signals a significant push to align its colossal WindRunner aircraft with future U.S. defense needs. The announcement was made at the AFA Warfare Symposium, a key gathering for defense and aerospace leaders, where Radia is showcasing the ambitious project.

Moore, who until July 2024 served as the Air Force's Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, brings decades of high-level experience in global mobility and resource allocation. His appointment provides a major credibility boost for Radia, which aims to build the largest cargo aircraft in history to solve what it calls critical "outsized logistics gaps" for both commercial and military clients.

A Strategic Hire for a Grand Vision

Lt. Gen. Moore's career places him at the nexus of military strategy and logistical capability. In his role at the Pentagon, he was responsible for shaping the Air Force's long-term force structure and multi-billion-dollar resource strategy, ensuring its air and cyber forces were equipped to meet national security objectives. With over 4,000 flight hours in key mobility aircraft like the C-17 and C-5, his expertise is not just theoretical but deeply rooted in operational reality.

"Rick has spent his career shaping how the Air Force plans, builds, and employs global mobility forces," said Mark Lundstrom, Founder and CEO of Radia. "His perspective on future airlift needs and operational resilience is directly aligned with the role platforms like WindRunner can play in addressing outsized logistics gaps identified by defense stakeholders."

For Radia, Moore's guidance will be invaluable in navigating the complex defense sector. His insights into military requirements, operational concepts like Agile Combat Employment (ACE), and the procurement process could prove essential in positioning the WindRunner as a viable solution for the Department of Defense, which is already assessing the aircraft's potential through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA).

Moore himself highlighted the evolving nature of global logistics. "Future mobility challenges will increasingly involve scale, flexibility, and resilience," he stated. "Platforms capable of moving extremely large cargo between dispersed locations can expand operational options in ways not previously available."

A Plane of Unprecedented Scale

The platform Moore refers to, the WindRunner, is an aircraft of staggering proportions. At 108 meters (356 feet) long with a wingspan of 80 meters (261 feet), it is designed to be longer than any aircraft ever built, including the legendary Antonov An-225. However, its true innovation lies not in its weight capacity—which at 80 tons is comparable to a C-17 Globemaster III—but in its cavernous cargo bay.

With a volume of approximately 8,200 cubic meters, the WindRunner offers twelve times the cargo space of a Boeing 747 freighter. This focus on volume over sheer mass is intentional, designed to transport extremely long or bulky items that are impossible to move with existing airlifters. The primary commercial driver for this design is the renewable energy sector, where the transport of ever-larger wind turbine blades over land has become a major bottleneck.

Critically, the WindRunner is being engineered to operate from short, semi-prepared runways as short as 1,800 meters (6,000 feet). This capability is key to its dual-use mission, enabling it to deliver massive wind turbine components directly to remote farm sites or, for military purposes, deploy large, mission-ready systems to austere forward operating bases without reliance on established airport infrastructure.

Bridging the 'Outsized Logistics Gap'

The strategic value of Moore's appointment and the WindRunner's design becomes clear when examining the current limitations in global logistics. For the U.S. military, production of its largest airlifters, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy and Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, has ceased. The existing fleet is aging, and much of today's advanced military hardware, from large radar systems to helicopters, must be partially disassembled for air transport, a time-consuming and logistically complex process.

Radia claims the WindRunner could transport multiple combat-ready systems in a single sortie. For instance, it could carry up to six Chinook helicopters with rotors attached or a dozen Apache helicopters, dramatically speeding up deployment timelines and enhancing force readiness. This capability directly supports the Pentagon's push toward more agile and dispersed operations, where speed and flexibility are paramount.

In the commercial sphere, the logistics gap is just as pronounced. Onshore wind energy's growth is hampered by the physical constraints of road and rail. Turbine blades longer than 70 meters are nearly impossible to transport via ground, yet blades exceeding 100 meters are needed to maximize power generation and cost-efficiency. By flying these enormous components directly to installation sites, the WindRunner could unlock the potential of the most powerful onshore turbines, accelerating the transition to renewable energy.

From Blueprint to Big Sky

Founded in 2016, Radia is moving from concept to execution. The company has secured nearly $100 million in funding from a group of investors that includes LS Power, Good Growth Capital, and energy giant ConocoPhillips. To mitigate the immense technical risk and accelerate a complex certification process, Radia is strategically incorporating proven, existing components from established tier-one suppliers into its novel airframe.

The company is targeting a first flight by the end of the decade, with commercial operations to follow. By announcing Lt. Gen. Moore's advisory role at the AFA Symposium, Radia has made its boldest statement yet that it is not just building a giant plane for wind turbines, but a strategic asset designed to redefine the art of the possible for global heavy-lift logistics.