Defense Acquisitions: Strategic Airlift Gap Has Been Addressed, but Tactical Airlift Plans Are Evolving as Key Issues Have Not Been Resolved
GAO-10-67
Published: Nov 12, 2009. Publicly Released: Nov 12, 2009.
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Highlights
Department of Defense (DOD) used nearly 700 aircraft, as well as commercial and leased aircraft, to carry about 3 million troops and 800,000 tons of cargo in support of wartime, peacetime, and humanitarian efforts in 2008. C-5s and C-17s move troops and cargo internationally (strategic airlift) and C-130s are the primary aircraft that moves them within a theater of operation (tactical airlift). Over the next 4 years, DOD plans to spend about $12 billion to modernize and procure airlifters and is currently studying how many it needs. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to (1) identify the status of DOD's modernization and acquisition efforts and (2) determine how well DOD is addressing any capability gaps and redundancies. In conducting this work, GAO identified the cost, schedule, and performance of airlift programs, as well as DOD's plan for addressing gaps and redundancies. GAO also discussed mobility study efforts with DOD, Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA), and RAND Coporation officials.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | To help improve DOD's management of strategic and tactical airlift assets, the Secretary of Defense should direct the portfolio management team, consisting of U.S. Transportation Command and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, to provide more comprehensive advice to senior leaders on the full range of airlift investment decisions, including new program starts, modernization efforts, and retirement decisions. This would also include identifying alternatives for using existing common user aircraft to meet service-specific missions and considering new roles and missions for the Air Force. |
DOD recently completed the Mobility Capabilities Requirement Study, which provides an assessment of airlift needs through 2016. The study was a joint effort between the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics and the U.S. Transportation Command. Study results are being used by senior defense leaders to make decisions on C-5 and C-130 modernization efforts, as well as C-17, C-130J and C-27J procurements.
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| Department of Defense | To help improve DOD's management of strategic and tactical airlift assets, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation) and Commander, U.S. Transportation Command to develop a specific airlift plan that would identify when C-5s will be retired and identify the total number of additional C-17s, if any, that would be needed to replace C-5s or perform tactical heavy lift missions until the time the JFTL is fielded. |
DOD used the results of the February 2010 Mobility Capabilities Requirements Study - 2016 to determine future strategic airlift requirements and fleet composition. Officials decided to cap C-17 procurement and reduce the number of modernized C-5s. Also sought approval for retiring up to 22 C-5s.
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| Department of Defense | To help improve DOD's management of strategic and tactical airlift assets, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Commander, Air Mobility Command, to determine the appropriate mix of C-27Js and C-130s that are needed to meet Army time-sensitive, mission-critical requirements and common user pool requirements. |
Air Mobility Command engaged RAND to define the Army's time-sensitive, mission-critical requirements and mix of aircraft needed to satisfy same. Air Force also completed the mobility capabilities study that better defined C-130 requirements for common pool lift. The Air Force has also identified a quantity of C-130 aircraft to be specifically allocated to meet Army time sensitive, mission critical cargo requirements. Air Force and Army worked to define mission critical time sensitive needs and process. Management of C-27J moved to Air Force and the quantity was reduced.
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| Department of Defense | To help improve DOD's management of strategic and tactical airlift assets, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force and Army to reach agreement on plans detailing how Army time-sensitive, mission-critical requirements will be addressed and prioritized against other Air Force priorities. |
Air Mobility Command engaged RAND to define the Army's time-sensitive, mission-critical requirements and mix of aircraft needed to satisfy same. That report, as well as the results of the Mobility Capability Study, clarified the numbers of C-130 and C-27Js needed for special the Army cargo. A two-service working group honed working agreements and MOA regarding Air Force support of Army special needs.
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| Department of Defense | To help improve DOD's management of strategic and tactical airlift assets, the Secretary of Defense should direct the joint Air Force and Army program office to develop a plan to follow an evolutionary approach for developing the JFTL based on DOD acquisition policy that includes selecting mature technologies, normally developing increments in less than 5 years, and fully funding each increment. |
DOD partially concurred with the recommendation, stating that the Air Force and Army are currently engaged in approving the Initial Capabilities Document and will then be working on the Analysis of Alternatives to consider viable alternatives for addressing capability gaps. On follow-up in 2012, we determined that the JFTL and related concepts are still being considered, but no specific program start is envisioned for the foreseeable future. In the current budget environment, a new start of such a advanced technology is considered unlikely. Therefore, we are closing this recommendation as not implemented.
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Topics
Air Force facilitiesAir Force procurementAircraftAirlift servicesCost analysisDefense capabilitiesDefense procurementLogisticsMilitary aircraftMilitary airlift operationsMilitary forcesMilitary operationsMilitary technologyModificationsProcurement planningProgram evaluationRedundancyStrategic mobility forcesStrategic planningTactical air forcesTechnology assessmentTechnology modernization programsAgency missionsRequirements definition