Defense taps commercial aircraft for Middle East deployments

For the first time since 1990, during the build-up to the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the Defense Department on Saturday activated Stage I of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet.

This move allows the military to use designated commercial aircraft for moving troops and cargo to the Middle East. The Defense Department relies heavily on commercial aircraft to move troops and cargo around the globe, even in peacetime. But until now, Defense has been able to rely on such aircraft on a voluntary basis to supplement its own fleet of cargo and troop carriers.

"This measure is necessary due to increased operations associated with the build-up of U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region," according to a Feb. 8 statement from Defense.

Under the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program, U.S. airlines contract with the Defense Department to move passengers and aircraft when military airlift requirements exceed the capability of military aircraft. As an incentive to participate in the program, the department awards peacetime airlift contracts to participating carriers.

The Stage I activation involves 22 U.S. airlines and includes 47 passenger aircraft and 31 wide-body cargo aircraft. Under the rules of activation, airlines continue to operate and maintain the aircraft with their own personnel and resources, according to the requirements established by the Air Mobility Command, the Defense agency that manages airlift.

There are three stages in activating the reserve air fleet:

• Stage I, which involves 78 commercial aircraft, requires carriers to respond within 24 hours of activation and is designed for response to a regional crisis. It was activated for the first time in August 1990.
• Stage II, which involves 291 commercial aircraft, also requires carriers to respond within 24 hours, and is designed for response to a major war. The only time Stage II has been invoked was in January 1991 for Operation Desert Storm.
• Stage III, which involves 927 commercial aircraft, requires that all aircraft be made available to Defense within 48 hours of activation. Stage III, designed for response to multiple theater wars or full national mobilization, has never been invoked.

According to a December study (03-278) by the General Accounting Office, the total number of aircraft committed to CRAF accounts for about 15 percent of all U.S.-owned commercial aircraft forecasted for 2003.

"Civil Reserve Air Fleet participants can respond to an emergency or a war with the required number of aircraft and crews and within the required time frame," the report said. However, auditors noted that, "The incentives currently in place to encourage participation in the program, especially the incentive to participate in DoD's peacetime business, might be losing effectiveness and could be disincentives in the future."

The Civil Reserve Air Fleet program was established in 1951.