WASHINGTON Radia is courting the U.S. Defense Department with WindRunner, a cargo aircraft concept the company describes as the worlds largest by length and internal volume. As reported by Breaking Defense, the platform is being designed primarily for onshore wind-energy logistics but is drawing attention for military use because it targets a different constraint than traditional airlifters: volume, not tonnage. Radias founder and CEO, Mark Lundstrom, said the idea coalesced years ago when industry players faced repeated delays moving extremely long components that conventional aircraft simply could not accommodate. According to the company, WindRunner is planned at 356 feet long with a 261-foot wingspan, giving it cargo dimensions that would outclass legacy platforms. Radia says the aircraft will operate from unpaved runways about 1,800 meters (roughly 5,900 feet) longan attribute intended to move intact, mission-ready cargo into austere locations. Lundstrom told Breaking Defense the aircrafts internal volume would be roughly 12 times that of an Air Force C-17, reinforcing the design premise: many logistics problems are driven by length and cross-section more than by raw weight. Military interest has progressed beyond casual conversations. In May, the company announced a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with U.S. Transportation Command to assess WindRunners utility for Defense Department missions. On Capitol Hill, the House Armed Services Committees Seapower and Projection Forces panel commended the CRADA in its draft FY26 policy bill, citing the Pentagons lack of airlift for cargo exceeding 300 feet in length. NATO countries participating in the Strategic Airlift International Solution partnership have also expressed interest and support, according to the report. Radia executive Thad Bibba retired Air Force major general who previously commanded the 18th Air Forcecharacterized the concept as a force multiplier. He offered a comparison: where a C-17 can carry one CH-47 Chinook with its blades removed, the WindRunner is envisioned to carry six Chinooks fully assembled so they can roll off and be ready to operate immediately. The company also cites potential carriage of long, awkward military items ranging from fighter aircraft to rockets and missile batteries, underscoring the focus on outsized dimensions rather than exceptional mass. Lundstrom emphasized that WindRunner is optimized for an obnoxious amount of volume, with cargo weight capacity expected to be roughly equivalent to a C-17. To speed certification, Radia says major tier-one components are already in production, though it declined to identify certain specifics such as engine selection. The firm is targeting initial operations around 2030, with additional military-unique systems (for example, air-refueling provisions) considered for later phases. Pricing details were not disclosed, but Radia envisions multiple operational models, from government-owned/contractor-operated to fully contractor-operated services, depending on mission needs. The broader context includes surging energy demanddriven in part by growth in data centerswhich Lundstrom argued is sustaining onshore wind development even as national politics debate renewable policies. For defense planners, the attraction is straightforward: if an aircraft purpose-built for extreme length and volume can deliver intact systems directly to rough or degraded airstrips, it could compress timelines, reduce disassembly/reassembly workarounds, and expand options for rapid force mobility.