Strategic Airlift: Further Efforts Can Be Taken to Extend Aircraft Service Life
NSIAD-94-222
Published: Sep 15, 1994. Publicly Released: Sep 15, 1994.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) strategic airlift capabilities, focusing on whether DOD aircraft, such as the C-5 and C-141, are being used effectively to ensure their availability for wartime missions.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | Because extending the service lives of the C-5 and C-141 aircraft fleets during peacetime is critical to protecting DOD strategic airlift capabilities for wartime, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, to continue using commercial and tanker aircraft for regularly scheduled cargo missions by limiting the use of C-141 to only those instances requiring its unique capabilities. |
Missions have been transferred to tanker aircraft (as they are modified with rollers) and to commercial aircraft in support of the CRAF program. Also, missions will be transferred to C-17 aircraft as they come online.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, to move as much as possible of the C-5 and C-141 local proficiency training to the simulators when they are upgraded. In addition, increase the amount of C-5 and C-141 air refueling simulator training as soon as the current AMC simulator optimization study is completed, if the study concludes that such an increase is appropriate. |
Both the C-141 and C-5 aircraft simulators are being aggressively upgraded. The first active-duty C-5 simulator became operational in August 1996. The C-141 simulator is going through phase II acceptance. Training in upgraded simulators will replace flight time.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, to determine the cost-effectiveness of an airlifter companion trainer program to allow C-141 and C-5 pilots to accomplish many of their experiencing and proficiency training requirements in less expensive aircraft. This could include transferring available operational support aircraft from other DOD activities to AMC. |
The effort to develop a companion trainer program has not been fruitful. Costs associated with such a program and the drawdown of the OSA fleet have made implementation of the GAO recommendation impractical.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, to adjust future airlift flying hour program budget requests to reflect the shift between airlifters and commercial and tanker aircraft, and C-141 and C-5 flying hour reductions made possible by the increased use of simulators and companion trainers. |
Flying hour reductions are anticipated based on studies of use of commercial and tanker aircraft and the use of simulators.
|
Full Report
Public Inquiries
Topics
Airlift servicesCombat readinessCommercial aviationDefense capabilitiesDefense contingency planningEmergency preparednessFlight trainingMilitary aircraftMilitary airlift operationsStrategic mobility forces