From: Lenny Siegel, Director, Pacific Studies Center
Date: Wed, 3 Jul 1996

THE CRAF ARGUMENT


The Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) is a sensible, cost-effective way to support American military airlift objectives. Civilian Access to Military Installations (CAMI) is one of several initiatives being used by the Air Force to strengthen and stabilize the CRAF.

But CRAF is already in a strong position, and denying air cargo access to Moffett Field will not endanger national security. As explained by the Colonel the other night, CRAF is working hard to overcome a shortage of aeromedical evaluation aircraft. In other categories, however, participation is sufficient. I don't blame the Air Force for wanting more, but there's no imperative to give up on our quality fo life to help achieve that goal.

GAO REPORT


A March, 1996 General Accounting Office (GAO) Report, "Military Airlift: Observations on the Civil Reserve Air Fleet Program" (GAO/NSIAD-96-125), found:

"The CRAF program is just below its requirement for aircraft to fly long-range international cargo. Commercial carriers have committed 114 of the 120 required wide-body equivalent aircraft to the CRAF program. However, the current commitment is above the 17.5-million ton miles/day of capability (or 101 wide-body equivalent aircraft) AMC [Air Mobility Command] depends on getting from the CRAF Program."

Furthermore, carriers have committed 161 wide-body equivalents for passenger transportation, compared to a current requirement of only 136.

The GAO report lists several approaches the Air Force is using to support CRAF. CAMI is not discussed.

DOD INSTRUCTION


At the Mountain View hearing the other night, the spokesman from DHL said he could not say exactly how CRAF CAMI approval at Moffett would influence its participation in CRAF. That is, how many aircraft is Moffett access worth? He better get cracking. The Department of Defense (DOD) Instruction, "Civil Reserve Air Fleet Carrier Commercial Access to Military Installations for Non-DOD Operations" (Number 4500.55, October 25, 1995), states:

"An air carrier may submit a proposal that identifies the installations for which it desires to negotiate, the scope of its proposed operations, and the number and type of additional aircraft it intends to offer to the CRAF program under the CAMI program."

The instruction, which doesn't apply to Moffett Field both because it's a closed base and because not a military airfield, also lays out the financial obligations of the CRAF carriers under the CAMI program. I include here the first three of eight.

1) "Paying in advance all scheduled or specified fees and charges..."

2) "Funding and maintaining ... improvements ..."

3) "Funding all costs associated with preparation of all applicable environmental documents ..."

Who is paying for the NASA Environmental Assessment? Is it the air cargo companies? Does NASA expect to bill them later? It is conceivable that NASA has committed money that it can only recoup if air cargo oprations take place at Moffett.