[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3909 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3909

     To require a report on the size and mixture of the Air Force 
                      intertheater airlift force.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 18, 2007

  Mrs. Tauscher (for herself and Mr. Castle) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To require a report on the size and mixture of the Air Force 
                      intertheater airlift force.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States Airlift Requirements 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REPORT ON SIZE AND MIX OF AIR FORCE INTERTHEATER AIRLIFT FORCE.

    (a) Study Required.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a 
        study on various alternatives for the size and mix of assets 
        for the Air Force intertheater airlift force, with a particular 
        focus on current and planned capabilities and costs of the C-5 
        aircraft and C-17 aircraft fleets.
            (2) Conduct of study.--
                    (A) Use of ffrdc.--The Secretary shall select to 
                conduct the study required by subsection (a) a 
                federally funded research and development center 
                (FFRDC) that has experience and expertise in conducting 
                studies similar to the study required by subsection 
                (a).
                    (B) Development of study methodology.--Not later 
                than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
                the federally funded research and development center 
                selected for the conduct of the study shall--
                            (i) develop the methodology for the study; 
                        and
                            (ii) submit the methodology to the 
                        Comptroller General of the United States for 
                        review.
                    (C) Comptroller general review.--Not later than 30 
                days after receipt of the methodology under 
                subparagraph (B), the Comptroller General shall--
                            (i) review the methodology for purposes of 
                        identifying any flaws or weaknesses in the 
                        methodology; and
                            (ii) submit to the federally funded 
                        research and development center a report that--
                                    (I) sets forth any flaws or 
                                weaknesses in the methodology 
                                identified by the Comptroller General 
                                in the review; and
                                    (II) makes any recommendations the 
                                Comptroller General considers advisable 
                                for improvements to the methodology.
                    (D) Modification of methodology.--Not later than 30 
                days after receipt of the report under subparagraph 
                (C), the federally funded research and development 
                center shall--
                            (i) modify the methodology in order to 
                        address flaws or weaknesses identified by the 
                        Comptroller General in the report and to 
                        improve the methodology in accordance with the 
                        recommendations, if any, made by the 
                        Comptroller General; and
                            (ii) submit to the congressional defense 
                        committees a report that--
                                    (I) describes the modifications of 
                                the methodology made by the federally 
                                funded research and development center; 
                                and
                                    (II) if the federally funded 
                                research and development center does 
                                not improve the methodology in 
                                accordance with any particular 
                                recommendation of the Comptroller 
                                General, sets forth a description and 
                                explanation of the reasons for such 
                                action.
            (3) Utilization of other studies.--The study shall build 
        upon the results of the recent Mobility Capabilities Studies of 
        the Department of Defense, the on-going Intratheater Airlift 
        Fleet Mix Analysis, and other appropriate studies and analyses. 
        The study should also include any results reached on the 
        modified C-5A aircraft configured as part of the Reliability 
        Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP) configuration, as 
        specified in section 132 of the National Defense Authorization 
        Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108-136; 117 Stat. 1411).
    (b) Elements.--The study under subsection (a) shall address the 
following:
            (1) The state of the current intertheater airlift fleet of 
        the Air Force, including the extent to which the increased use 
        of heavy airlift aircraft in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation 
        Enduring Freedom, and other ongoing operations is affecting the 
        aging of the aircraft of that fleet.
            (2) The adequacy of the current intertheater airlift force, 
        including whether or not the current target number of 301 
        airframes for the Air Force heavy lift aircraft fleet will be 
        sufficient to support future expeditionary combat and non-
        combat missions as well as domestic and training mission 
        demands consistent with the requirements of the National 
        Military Strategy.
            (3) The optimal mix of C-5 aircraft and C-17 aircraft for 
        the intertheater airlift fleet of the Air Force, and any 
        appropriate mix of C-5 aircraft and C-17 aircraft for 
        intratheater airlift missions, including an assessment of the 
        following:
                    (A) The cost advantages and disadvantages of 
                modernizing the C-5 aircraft fleet when compared with 
                procuring new C-17 aircraft, which assessment shall be 
                performed in concert with the Cost Analysis Improvement 
                Group and be based on program life cycle cost estimates 
                for the respective aircraft.
                    (B) The military capability of the C-5 aircraft and 
                the C-17 aircraft, including number of lifetime flight 
                hours, cargo and passenger carrying capabilities, and 
                mission capable rates for such airframes. In the case 
                of assumptions for the C-5 aircraft, and any 
                assumptions made for the mission capable rates of the 
                C-17 aircraft, sensitivity analyses shall also be 
                conducted to test assumptions. The military capability 
                study for the C-5 aircraft shall also include an 
                assessment of the mission capable rates after each of 
                the following:
                            (i) Successful completion of the Avionics 
                        Modernization Program (AMP) and the Reliability 
                        Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP).
                            (ii) Partially successful completion of the 
                        Avionics Modernization Program and the 
                        Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining 
                        Program, with partially successful completion 
                        of either such program being considered the 
                        point at which the continued execution of such 
                        program is no longer supported by cost-benefit 
                        analysis.
                    (C) The tactical capabilities of strategic airlift 
                aircraft, the potential increase in use of strategic 
                airlift aircraft for tactical missions, and the value 
                of such capabilities to tactical operations.
                    (D) The value of having more than one type of 
                aircraft in the strategic airlift fleet, and the 
                potential need to pursue a replacement aircraft for the 
                C-5 aircraft that is larger than the C-17 aircraft.
            (4) The means by which the Air Force was able to restart 
        the production line for the C-5 aircraft after having closed 
        the line for several years, and the actions to be taken to 
        ensure the production line for the C-17 aircraft could be 
        restarted if necessary, including--
                    (A) an analysis of the costs of closing and re-
                opening the production line for the C-5 aircraft; and
                    (B) an assessment of the costs of closing and re-
                opening the production line for the C-17 aircraft on a 
                similar basis.
            (5) The financial effects of retiring, upgrading and 
        maintaining, or continuing current operations of the C-5A 
        aircraft fleet on procurement decisions relating to the C-17 
        aircraft.
            (6) The impact that increasing the role and use of 
        strategic airlift aircraft in intratheater operations will have 
        on the current target number for strategic airlift aircraft of 
        301 airframes, including an analysis of the following:
                    (A) The appropriateness of using C-5 aircraft and 
                C-17 aircraft for intratheater missions, as well as the 
                efficacy of these aircraft to perform current and 
                projected future intratheater missions.
                    (B) The interplay of existing doctrinal 
                intratheater airlift aircraft (such as the C-130 
                aircraft and the future Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA)) 
                with an increasing role for C-5 aircraft and C-17 
                aircraft in intratheater missions.
                    (C) The most appropriate and likely missions for C-
                5 aircraft and C-17 aircraft in intratheater operations 
                and the potential for increased requirements in these 
                mission areas.
                    (D) Any intratheater mission sets best performed by 
                strategic airlift aircraft as opposed to traditional 
                intratheater airlift aircraft.
                    (E) Any requirements for increased production or 
                longevity of C-5 aircraft and C-17 aircraft, or for a 
                new strategic airlift aircraft, in light of the matters 
                analyzed under this paragraph.
            (7) Taking into consideration all applicable factors, 
        whether or not the replacement of C-5 aircraft with C-17 
        aircraft on a one-for-one basis will result in the retention of 
        a comparable strategic airlift capability.
    (c) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to 
exclude from the study under subsection (a) consideration of airlift 
assets other than the C-5 aircraft or C-17 aircraft that do or may 
provide intratheater and intertheater airlift, including the potential 
that such current or future assets may reduce requirements for C-5 
aircraft or C-17 aircraft.
    (d) Collaboration With Transcom.--The federally funded research and 
development center selected under subsection (a) shall conduct the 
study required by that subsection and make the report required by 
subsection (e) in concert with the United States Transportation 
Command.
    (e) Report by FFRDC.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than February 4, 2009, the 
        federally funded research and development center selected under 
        subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary of Defense, the 
        congressional defense committees, and the Comptroller General 
        of the United States a report on the study required by 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Review by gao.--Not later than 90 days after receipt of 
        the report under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall 
        submit to the congressional defense committee a report on the 
        study conducted under subsection (a) and the report under 
        paragraph (1). The report under this subsection shall include 
        an analysis of the study under subsection (a) and the report 
        under paragraph (1), including an assessment by the Comptroller 
        General of the strengths and weaknesses of the study and 
        report.
    (f) Report by Secretary of Defense.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than _____, 2009, the Secretary 
        of Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of 
        the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
        Representatives a report on the study required by subsection 
        (a).
            (2) Elements.--The report shall include a comprehensive 
        discussion of the findings of the study, including a particular 
        focus on the following:
                    (A) A description of lift requirements and 
                operating profiles for intertheater airlift aircraft 
                required to meet the National Military Strategy, 
                including assumptions regarding:
                            (i) Current and future military combat and 
                        support missions.
                            (ii) The planned force structure growth of 
                        the Army and the Marine Corps.
                            (iii) Potential changes in lift 
                        requirements, including the deployment of the 
                        Future Combat Systems by the Army.
                            (iv) New capability in strategic airlift to 
                        be provided by the KC(X) aircraft and the 
                        expected utilization of such capability, 
                        including its use in intratheater lift.
                            (v) The utilization of the heavy lift 
                        aircraft in intratheater combat missions.
                            (vi) The availability and application of 
                        Civil Reserve Air Fleet assets in future 
                        military scenarios.
                            (vii) Air mobility requirements associated 
                        with the Global Rebasing Initiative of the 
                        Department of Defense.
                            (viii) Air mobility requirements in support 
                        of peacekeeping and humanitarian missions 
                        around the globe.
                            (ix) Potential changes in lift requirements 
                        based on equipment procured for Iraq and 
                        Afghanistan.
                    (B) A description of the assumptions utilized in 
                the study regarding aircraft performances and loading 
                factors.
                    (C) A comprehensive statement of the data and 
                assumptions utilized in making program life cycle cost 
                estimates.
                    (D) A comparison of cost and risk associated with 
                optimal mix airlift fleet versus program of record 
                airlift fleet.
            (3) Form.--The report shall be submitted in unclassified 
        form, but may include a classified annex.
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