Civilian Reserve Air Fleet: Should The USAF Use It Routinely?

Abstract

First used in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the Civilian Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program supplemented the USAF strategic airlift capabilities. The first ever use of resources the CRAF was a resounding success and only minor changes have been recommended to further improve the program. Would routine and continuous use of the CRAF improve USAF airlift capabilities during the current drawdown? This essay will study the current and planned future of airlift capabilities and how this could be supplemented or replaced by use of civilian. A comparison will be made for: Continuing with the current policy to use the CRAF only during national emergencies, or Using CRAF to supplement USAF on a routine basis. This comparison will address the economic issues, the effectiveness of strategic airlift mission support, and whether this change would hinder USAF abilities to meet long-term global challenges.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA397849

Entities

People

  • Jerry D. Harris Jr

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Airlift Operations
  • Cargo Aircraft
  • Commercial Aircraft
  • Employment
  • Military Aircraft
  • Organizational Structure
  • Passenger Aircraft
  • Tanker Aircraft
  • Transport Aircraft
  • United States Transportation Command
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Readers

  • Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.