An Expeditionary Civil Reserve Air Fleet for the Contested Environment
Abstract
The Joint Force is reliant on activating the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) to move its passengers and cargo, even as there are stark and compelling indications that Industry will be unable or inadequate to operate in the contested environment engendered by Great Power Competition. While the CRAF remains valuable for many environments, the DoD must preserve its dominance by creating a hybrid-CRAF, that can mobilize within hours and operate into contested areas with the right balance of activated aircrew, aircraft, and military operational control (OPCON). The underlying hypothesis for this thesis is that the CRAF can sustain the Joint Force in a permissive environment but would be inadequate in a contested environment. This is borne out by examining the role and performance of CRAF from its past through today, the nature of the all-domain contested environment, and the DoDs hesitancy to risk mobility assets. The conclusion recommends the DoD develop an expeditionary-CRAF, incorporating both crews and aircraft, and integrated into the military's' planning and execution system.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 06, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1178321
Entities
People
- Phillip Surrey
Organizations
- Marine Corps University