Military Airlift. Options Exist for Meeting Requirements While Acquiring Fewer C-17s.
Abstract
The Congress had expressed concern about whether the C-17 was the most cost-effective airlifter for the Air Force to procure, given the aircraft's history of cost, schedule, and performance problems. The Congress had required the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a Non-Developmental Airlift Aircraft program to acquire a commercially available transport aircraft as a substitute for or complement to a fleet of C-17s. As a result of a November 1995 decision by the Defense Acquisition Board, DOD plans to buy 120 C-17s and no commercially available transport aircraft. DOD concluded that the advantages of buying the C-17 outweighed any potential cost savings from acquiring a mixed fleet. Given the $43 billion price for the C-17 program, Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse asked GAO to explore whether less costly alternatives to procuring 120 aircraft exist while still satisfying the nation's airlift requirements. This report responds to that request.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 18, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA323412
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office