# Strategic Airlift Revisited



## Kirkhill (14 Sep 2005)

Air Force Announces CRAF Contracts Valued at $2.2 Billion 
  
  
(Source: US Air Force; issued Sept. 13, 2005)
  
  
 SCOTT AFB, Ill. --- Air Force officials at Headquarters Air Mobility Command announced today the award of $2.2 billion worth of annual International Airlift Services contracts in support of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program (CRAF).  

Civilian airlines contractually commit to the CRAF to support Department of Defense airlift requirements in emergencies when the need for airlift exceeds the capability of military aircraft. To provide incentives for civil carriers to commit aircraft to the CRAF program and to assure the United States of adequate airlift reserves, AMC annually awards peacetime airlift business to civilian airlines that offer aircraft to the CRAF. The Defense Department offers business through the International Airlift Services contract.  

Airlines may contract as teams to optimize their resources for commitment. The following airlines and teams were awarded contracts for fiscal year 2006. The minimum guaranteed value of the contract is listed first, followed by the estimated contract value based on current Defense Department contract airlift. Team members awarded at least 25% of the minimum guarantee are listed in parentheses below:  

-- Alliance Contractor Team (Evergreen International Airlines, Inc. and World Airways, Inc.), $191 million, $1.222 billion;  

-- Federal Express Team (Atlas Worldwide Holdings, parent company of Atlas Air, Inc and Polar Air Cargo, Inc), $140 million, $864 million;  

-- UPS Team (Kalitta Air, LLC, and North American Airlines), $17 million, $121 million;  

-- Miami Air Team (Miami Air International), $11 million, $42 million;  

-- Continental Airlines, Inc., $886,000, $11 million.  

In addition, Falcon Air Express, Inc., Grand Air Holdings, Inc., Lynden Air Cargo, MN Airlines, LLC, and Spirit Airlines, Inc., also were awarded contracts valued between $2,000 and $254,000.  

Estimated contract values include both fixed and expansion business. Fixed buy contracts are comprised of requirements that are known far enough in advance to allow their inclusion in the solicitation. Carriers awarded this business know exactly where and when they will perform their contract obligations in the coming year. The estimate is based on current DOD contract airlift utilization. Change in DOD contract airlift requirements may cause actual value to vary significantly. Team member shares of team business may vary depending on member capability and team organization.  

Expansion business awards consist of airlift requirements that are unknown at this time. Once these requirements are known, carriers may offer to perform these missions. Expansion business can comprise a significant amount of the total contract value.  

Offers from other carriers are under consideration and may result in future awards.  

In the history of the program, the Defense Department has twice called on the CRAF to support airlift requirements during wartime. Operation Desert Storm and the Global War on Terrorism both relied on carriers participating in the CRAF program.  

-ends-  

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.4308111.1089903978.QPadasOa9dUAAESlMZk&modele=jdc_34


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## mover1 (14 Sep 2005)

We contract out all the time.
Cadet flights, Antinovs. Using charters to fly troops around.

This is nothing new.


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## Kirkhill (14 Sep 2005)

Thanks mover1 for reminding us of the fact that we already contract out.  I was aware of that, perhaps others weren't.  They may not have been aware that the US also contracts out,  flying UPS and FedEx flights into Baghdad, fairly far forward these days.

One of the big limitations of the 747 and other civvy transports used to be its side loading and lack of a ramp.  This lack has been addressed in the 747 ERF currently being purchased by some civvy carriers, increasing the availability of militarily appropriate airlift.


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## mover1 (14 Sep 2005)

sorry dude 
The CC-150 has the same limitations that most smaller airfields cannot handel a combi. But this is inproving as other NATO countries are coming into the fold and using them as well.


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## Gramps (14 Sep 2005)

Mover1 is %100 correct. It is not just Canada and the U.S that contract out either, many nations do this as a way to cut costs. I remember there was a DHL Logistics aircraft hit with a missile in Iraq a couple of years ago too.


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