Author: Robert E. AthayPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Airlift, Military
Languages : en
Pages : 21
Book Description
Department of Defense (DoD) plans call for the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) to carry up to 96 percent of air transportable cargoes in a major overseas deployment of U.S. Forces during war or other emergency. The civil air carriers participating in the CRAF program are contractually obligated to provide not only aircraft, but also crews, fuel, spare parts, and maintenance. The central element of existing plans to support CRAF operations is the senior lodger system. Under that system, a U.S. civil air carrier is designed as senior lodger to coordinate all support activities for CRAF aircraft at each of 39 stations in the United States and overseas. We are concerned that senior lodgers at many overseas stations could not carry out their assigned functions if CRAF were mobilized. Senior lodgers generally lack both knowledge of the volumes of traffic they would be expected to support and assured access to the necessary manpower and materiel resources. The DoD needs to take measures to assure adequate support of CRAF operations during emergencies. The DoD should seek to improve support by providing necessary policy guidance for CRAF by means of a DoD Directive, developing plans for utilizing and supporting civil aircraft not currently included in the CRAF program, devising a mobile maintenance program, and providing better assurance of adequate fuel supplies.