Filling the Gaps
Written by Marty Kauchak
Civil Reserve Air Fleet carriers continue to meet strategic lift shortfalls.
The National Security Decision Directive National Airlift Policy 280 dated June 24, 1987, strengthened the U.S.’s strategic airlift capability. The directive provides the policy foundation for the military and private sector to more efficiently and effectively meet established airlift requirements in peacetime and in times of crisis or war.
Through participation in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program, the U.S. commercial aviation industry provides the peacetime airlift resources which bolster the Department of Defense’s capability to move passengers and material as envisioned in the 1987 policy document.
Study-Driven Requirements
Like other parts of the DoD force structure, the numbers of military airlift and CRAF aircraft are established by analysis-based requirements and a study. The current baseline for future air lift involving military and civilian assets is built on the 2005 Mobility Capability Study. This document was one input for the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review.
“The current plans for future force structure are funded only to support the bottom of the Mobility Capability Study [MCS] range in each mission area,” pointed out Air Force Major General Quentin “Pete” Peterson, director, Air, Space and Information Operations, Air Mobility Command (AMC). “Faced with a sudden contingency exceeding the MCS bottom-range, use of CRAF aircraft is required to sustain our joint forces in the field,” he added.
Air Force Brigadier General Fred Roggero, deputy director, Air, Space and Information Operations Directorate, AMC, quantified CRAF aircraft support needed during one contingency—large mobility deployments. “Over 90 percent of passenger lift and 40 percent of cargo lift must be transported by commercial lift,” he remarked.
The CRAF’s importance to passenger and material mobility in scenarios other than contingencies can be gleaned from the global war on terrorism, in which more than 70 percent of sustainment flights into U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility are provided by commercial lift.
The USTRANSCOM FY08 president’s budget request contains $2.8 billion to continue the contributions of commercial airlift for military purposes.
Three Segments
The CRAF airframes needed to support the warfighters through the Future Years Defense Program will be supplied by only U.S. carriers fully certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The airlines must also meet the administration’s rigorous maintenance and other standards for commercial aircraft.
Thirty-eight carriers currently participate in the program and support three core segments. The international segment is divided into the long-range and short-range sections and has 1,294 aircraft. These planes augment AMC’s long-range inter-theater C-5s and C-17s during periods of increased airlift needs.
Three of the 25 long-range carriers include Continental Airlines, Murray Air and World Airways, a division of World Air Holdings.
The 13 short-range international carriers include Alaska Airways, American and Northern Air Cargo, and other entities.
The national segment of the CRAF contains the domestic and Alaska sections and is supported by 41 aircraft. The domestic section includes Southwest Airlines and other carriers. Lynden Air Cargo and Northern Air Cargo are the two carriers in the Alaska segment.
The CRAF aeromedical segment has 50 aircraft. These units assist in the evacuation of casualties from the overseas theater to hospitals in the U.S., and also return medical supplies and medical crews to the theater of operations.
Civilian Boeing-767 passenger aircraft are converted to air ambulances by the use of kits containing litter stanchions, litters and other aeromedical supplies. Delta and U.S. Airways are the two carrier providers for this segment.
Providers Perspectives
World Airways has a long history of involvement with the CRAF program and has been a provider of military airlift since 1951. The airline has 13 aircraft in CRAF. World’s sister airline, North American, began flying military logistics missions as soon as it was fully certified by the FAA in 1991. This carrier has nine aircraft in CRAF.
“We participate in CRAF not only from a patriotic duty to our country, but also for the business opportunities afforded by the program,” stated Lois Wilson, vice president, military sales, World Air Holdings. “Our aircraft have met the Department of Defense’s lift requirement over the years in times of peace as well as conflict,” she added.
Miami, Fla.-based Arrow Cargo has two DC-10s and three DC-8s in CRAF. That airline also eyes increased business as a reason for joining the program. We are in the CRAF “to be eligible for peacetime government business,” said John Kempster, director, military planning.
The activation of CRAF aircraft presents one area of possible turbulence in a carrier’s business plan.
“The challenges to an airline vary depending on the type of airline, scheduled or charter. Both types of airlines could see a disruption to their routine scheduled operations, affecting their customers greatly, in the event of an activation,” pointed out Wilson. Another challenge to the charter operators is having a commitment from AMC for peacetime business opportunities so that aircraft remain available for wartime needs. “A current downsizing of the AMC’s Patriot Express (scheduled-type service flights for military personnel and their dependents) has eroded this base of peacetime requirements. Without this ‘known’ flying, charter aircraft availability may also erode over the years to come,” opined Wilson.
Asked how to improve CRAF, Arrow Cargo’s Kempster provided a more succinct reply: “Increase business.”
Two proposed legislative items are hoped to meet some of the CRAF's carriers’ concerns.
Carrier Requirements
For a carrier to join to CRAF, it must commit a minimum of 15 percent of its cargo fleet (in wide-body equivalents), or 30 percent of its passenger fleet (in wide-body equivalents).
Carriers possessing both types of aircraft must commit the minimums in both categories. Carriers with both long-range and short-range international capability must commit to the long-range section.
Those aircraft which have been committed to CRAF must meet AMC’s performance standards when embarked on a mission.
Charting Performance
AMC tracks carrier performance based on the number of on-time departures. A delay occurs at the mission’s originating or turnaround station if the contractor’s aircraft departs the blocks more than 20 minutes after the scheduled departure time, except in those instances when the aircraft arrives at the next scheduled traffic stop destination on time.
AMC, much like its civilian counterpart at the Department of Transportation, maintains carrier on-time performance data.
“Our carriers average approximately 91 percent on-time reliability,” observed Roggero. CRAF carriers must also remain in connectivity with AMC during a mission. “When operating on AMC missions, contractor operations centers are required to maintain voice, facsimile and e-mail connectivity with AMC command and control agencies,” said Peterson.
Congressional Perspective
“I am very familiar with the CRAF program and how important it is as a backup to military air for materiel and personnel transport,” reflected Representative Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), a House Armed Services Committee member. Wilson, a retired Army National Guard officer with 31 years service and a member of congress since 2001, shared several personal observations about this program.
After noting that his house in South Carolina is almost adjacent to one hub of UPS—a major CRAF carrier—he recalled having a Delta flight reservation cancelled in August 1990 during a visit to Moscow.
“Commercial U.S. aircraft—including that Delta jet—were needed to support Operation Desert Shield. They did a great job—and I ended up flying a foreign carrier home from Moscow,” he said.
Wilson has also seen CRAF in operation during his six visits as a member of Congress to Iraq and other nearby nations in which U.S. forces are supporting the global war on terrorism. And he has noted the efficiencies of CRAF air carriers’ on-the-ground logistics chain and other parts of the program.
“The CRAF program is working and I am very pleased with it,” concluded Wilson.
Proposed Legislation
Two proposals addressing the CRAF program were submitted by DoD this February for inclusion in the FY08 National Defense Authorization Act. Both items remain under review by the four defense committees and had not been included in any committee reports as this issue went to press.
Section 334 allows the government to continue to provide insurance for commercial carriers supplying transportation under contract to DoD. This is essential compensation for carriers during CRAF activation.
Section 804 seeks to guarantee higher premium levels of business than are currently authorized by law to CRAF carriers. The USTRANSCOM-submitted legislation recognizes that, with the global repositioning of U.S. forces from overseas bases to U.S. bases and stations, the predictable part of the department’s airlift requirements is decreasing.
“Although overall requirements will not likely decrease, the department believes that the amount that can be guaranteed at contract award under current law will soon fall below a level that will induce the air carriers to commit enough aircraft to meet” CRAF requirements, reads the legislation.
Under this proposal, the guarantee would not be based on known requirements at time of award. The minimum guarantee of business would be based on DoD’s forecast needs for the next year, but capped at a maximum of 80 percent of the historical levels of peacetime airlift expenditures. ♦