C-130 Force Structure: Air Force Addressed Statutory Elements in Its Report, but Decided Not to Transfer Certain Aircraft as Proposed
Abstract
The Air Force s C-130 fulfills a wide range of intratheater airlift missions in peace and war, operating from active-duty Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve installations across the United States.1 The C-130J is the latest addition to the C-130 fleet. According to the Air Force, the C-130J incorporates state-of-the-art technology, and can climb faster and higher, fly farther, and take off and land in a shorter distance than the older C-130H model. In addition to these operational advantages, the Air Force reported that the C-130J reduces personnel requirements, lowers operating and support costs, and provides life-cycle cost savings over earlier C-130 models. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2013 required the Air Force to maintain an intra-theater airlift fleet size of at least 358 aircraft.2 The Air Force has made a number of proposals to both reduce the size of the C-130 fleet and to adjust the distribution of C-130s across various installations. For example, in 2013 the Air Force planned to transfer 10 C-130J aircraft from Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi to Pope Army Air Field in North Carolina. However, in its proposal for fiscal year 2015, the Air Force indicated instead its intent to redirect the transfer of the 10 C-130J aircraft from Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi to Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas. Figure 1 shows a C-130J aircraft taking off from Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 13, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA620291
Entities
People
- Cary B. Russell
- James A. Reynolds
- James Lloyd Iii
- Jeffrey Hubbard
- Michael Shaughnessy
- Richard Powelson
- Virginia Chanley
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office