"We are making long-term improvements to our airlift capability, adding a fifth C-17 to the four we are currently buying," he said.
does kinda make it sound like we don't already actually have 4 of them already.....
Well, it does a little, but he's refering to the fact that until now, our C17s have been operated on a lease basis as they were originally intended as a gap-filler. Now we're finally buying them out.