Summary: GAO evaluated whether the Military Airlift Command's (MAC) aerial ports, which are airfields selected for the sustained movement of military air traffic, can effectively support wartime airlift operations.
The military airlift system is made up of both military aircraft and commercially owned and operated aircraft committed to the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program. System readiness depends on having reliable materiel handling equipment (MHE) to load and unload aircraft and personnel to operate and maintain the equipment. However, problems with 59 elevator loaders MAC purchased from a contractor in 1982 reduced its ability to load wide-body aircraft. MAC took these loaders, which accounted for over half of its wide-body elevator loader capacity, out of service in 1985 after it experienced extensive problems. The absence of operational reliability testing, inadequate storage procedures, and lack of spare parts were major factors in reducing loader availability. Since MAC did not review the status of the spare parts kit components for 7 years, it found that the kits contained components for equipment no longer in use. While MAC has taken action to update kit components, the kits do not contain parts for elevator-type cargo loaders or have not been established for equipment stored as war reserve. Although CRAF-owned cargo loaders would provide an alternative to the government buying new equipment to meet wartime requirements, MAC policy is to use CRAF equipment only when its own resources are unavailable. As a result, the Air Force bought loaders even though CRAF carriers had the equipment. GAO believes that MAC plans should provide for use of CRAF-owned carriers to reduce the need for additional procurement and reduce the impact of loader shortages.
