STUDY ON SIZE AND MIX OF AIRLIFT FORCE.

SEC. 1046. STUDY ON SIZE AND MIX OF AIRLIFT FORCE.(a) Study Required.—The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a requirements-based study on alternatives for the proper size and mix of fixed-wing intratheater and intertheater airlift assets to meet the National Military Strategy for each of the following timeframes: fiscal year 2012, 2018, and 2024. The study shall—(1) focus on organic and commercially programmed airlift capabilities;(2) analyze the full-spectrum lifecycle costs of the various alternatives for organic models of each of the following aircraft: C–5A/B/C/M, C–17A, KC–X, KC–10, KC–135R, C–130E/H/J, Joint Cargo Aircraft; and(3) incorporate the augmentation capability, viability, and feasibility of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet during activation stages I, II, and III.(b) Use of Ffrdc.—The Secretary shall select, to carry out the study required by subsection (a), a federally funded research and development center that has experience and expertise in conducting similar studies.(c) Study Plan.—The study required by subsection (a) shall be carried out under a study plan. The study plan shall be developed as follows:(1) The center selected under subsection (b) shall develop the study plan and shall, not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, submit the study plan to the congressional defense committees, the Secretary, and the Comptroller General of the United States.(2) The Comptroller General shall review the study plan to determine whether it is complete and objective, and whether 122 STAT. 314 it has any flaws or weaknesses in scope or methodology, and shall, not later than 30 days after receiving the study plan, submit to the Secretary and the center a report that contains the results of that review and provides any recommendations that the Comptroller General considers appropriate for improvements to the study plan.(3) The center shall modify the study plan to incorporate the recommendations under paragraph (2) and shall, not later than 45 days after receiving that report, submit to the Secretary and the congressional defense committees a report on those modifications. The report shall describe each modification and, if the modifications do not incorporate one or more of the recommendations, shall explain the reasons for not doing so.(d) Elements of Study Plan.—The study plan required by subsection (c) shall address, at minimum, the following:(1) A description of lift requirements and operating profiles for airlift aircraft required to meet the National Military Strategy, including assumptions regarding the following:(A) Current and future military combat and support missions.(B) The planned force structure growth of the military services.(C) Potential changes in lift requirements, including the deployment of the Future Combat Systems by the Army.(D) New capability in airlift to be provided by the KC(X) aircraft and the expected utilization of such capability, including its use in intratheater lift.(E) The utilization of intertheater lift aircraft in intratheater combat mission support roles.(F) The availability and application of Civil Reserve Air Fleet assets in future military scenarios.(G) Air mobility requirements associated with the Global Rebasing Initiative of the Department of Defense.(H) Air mobility requirements in support of worldwide peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.(I) Air mobility requirements in support of homeland defense and national emergencies.(J) The viability and capability of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to augment organic forces in both friendly and hostile environments.(K) An assessment of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to adequately augment the organic fleet as it relates to commercial inventory management restructuring in response to future commercial markets, streamlining of operations, efficiency measures, or downsizing of the participant.(2) An evaluation of the state of the current airlift fleet of the Air Force, including assessments of the following:(A) The extent to which the increased use of airlift aircraft in on-going operations is affecting the programmed service life of the aircraft of that fleet.(B) The adequacy of the current airlift force, including whether or not a minimum of 299 strategic airlift aircraft for the Air Force is sufficient to support future expeditionary combat and non-combat missions, as well as domestic and training mission demands consistent with 122 STAT. 315 the requirements of meeting the National Military Strategy.(C) The optimal mix of C–5 and C–17 aircraft for the strategic airlift fleet of the Air Force, to include the following:(i) The cost-effectiveness of modernizing various iterations of the C–5A and C–5B/C aircraft fleet versus procuring additional C–17 aircraft.(ii) The military capability, operational availability, usefulness, and service life of the C–5A/B/C/M aircraft and the C–17 aircraft. Such an assessment shall examine appropriate metrics, such as aircraft availability rates, departure rates, and mission capable rates, in each of the following cases:(I) Completion of the Avionics Modernization Program and the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program.(II) Partial completion of the Avionics Modernization Program and the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program, with partial completion of either such program being considered the point at which the continued execution of each program is no longer supported by the cost-effectiveness analysis.(iii) At what specific fleet inventory for each organic aircraft, to include air refueling aircraft used in the airlift role, would it impede the ability of Civil Reserve Air Fleet participants to remain a viable augmentation option.(D) An analysis and assessment of the lessons that may be learned from the experience of the Air Force in restarting the production line for the C–5 aircraft after having closed the line for several years, and recommendations for the actions that the Department of Defense should take to ensure that the production line for the C–17 aircraft could be restarted if necessary, including—(i) an analysis of the methods that were used and costs that were incurred in closing and re-opening the production line for the C–5 aircraft;(ii) an assessment of the methods and actions that should be employed and the expected costs and risks of closing and re-opening the production line for the C–17 aircraft in view of that experience.Such analysis and assessment should deal with issues such as production work force, production facilities, tooling, industrial base suppliers, contractor logistics support versus organic maintenance, and diminished manufacturing sources.(E) Assessing the military capability, operational availability, usefulness, service life and optimal mix of intra-theater airlift aircraft, to include—(i) the cost-effectiveness of procuring the Joint Cargo Aircraft versus procuring additional C–130J or refurbishing C–130E/H platforms to meet intra-theater airlift requirements of the combatant commander and component commands; and122 STAT. 316(ii) the cost-effectiveness of procuring additional C–17 aircraft versus procuring additional C–130J platforms or refurbishing C–130E/H platforms to meet intra-theater airlift requirements of the combatant commander and component commands.(3) Each analysis required by paragraph (2) shall include—(A) a description of the assumptions and sensitivity analysis utilized in the study regarding aircraft performances and cargo loading factors; and(B) a comprehensive statement of the data and assumptions utilized in making the program life cycle cost estimates and a comparison of cost and risk associated with the optimally mixed fleet of airlift aircraft versus the program of record airlift aircraft fleet.(e) Utilization of Other Studies.—The study required by subsection (a) shall build upon the results of the 2005 Mobility Capabilities Studies, the on-going Intra-theater Airlift Fleet Mix Analysis, the Intra-theater Lift Capabilities Study, the Joint Future Theater Airlift Capabilities Analysis, and other appropriate studies and analyses, such as Fleet Viability Board Reports or special aircraft assessments. The study shall also include any testing data collected on modernization, recapitalization, and upgrade efforts of current organic aircraft.(f) Collaboration With United States Transportation Command.—In conducting the study required by subsection (a) and preparing the report required by subsection (c)(3), the center shall collaborate with the commander of the United States Transportation Command.(g) Collaboration With Cost Analysis Improvement Group.—In conducting the study required by subsection (a) and constructing the analysis required by subsection (a)(2), the center shall collaborate with the Cost Analysis Improvement Group of the Department of Defense.(h) Report.—Not later than January 10, 2009, the center selected under subsection (b) shall submit to the Secretary and the congressional defense committees a report on the study required by subsection (a). The report shall be submitted in unclassified form, but shall include a classified annex.