Essentiality of Air Force War Reserve Items

In fiscal year 1978, the Air Force estimated its peacetime requirements for reparable, or investment-type, aircraft spare parts at $586 million and its war reserve requirement at about $1 billion. Congressional committees have continually questioned the basis for and validity of the Department of Defense's war reserve requirements for spare and repair parts. A review was conducted of 199 randomly selected aircraft spares and repair parts having a war reserve requirement as of June 30, 1977, which the Air Force planned to buy, to determine if the buy requirement was valid, the items were critical to wartime missions, items supported the more important weapons systems, and items with the greatest critical deficiencies were given funding priorities.