Air Mobility Command Needs to Collect and Analyze Better Data to Assess Aircraft Utilization

September 2005


DEFENSE TRANSPORTATION

Accountability Integrity Reliability
Highlights
Air Mobility Command Needs to Collect
and Analyze Better Data to Assess
Highlights of GAO-05-819, a report to the
Secretary of Defense
Aircraft Utilization
Why GAO Did This Study
What GAO Found
Airlift is a flexible, but expensive,
Because the Air Mobility Command (AMC), which is the Air Force agency
transportation method. From
responsible for managing airlift, does not systematically collect and analyze
September 2001 to April 2005, the
operational factors that impact payloads on individual missions, DOD does
Department of Defense (DOD) has
not know how often it met its secondary goal to use aircraft capacity as
spent about $9.5 billion using airlift
efficiently as possible. AMC collects data about short tons transported and
to transport equipment, supplies,
information about operational factors, such as weather and runway length,
and troops for Operations Enduring
when planning and executing airlift missions. AMC does not capture data
Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom
about these variables in a manner that allows officials to determine
(OIF). As of December 2004, airlift
historically whether aircraft capacity was used efficiently. Historical mission
accounted for about 13 percent of
all cargo and passengers
planning files and the Global Air Transportation Execution System that is
transported for these operations.
used to track mission data could provide some information about
DOD has stated that high demand
operational factors that affect mission payloads, but limitations associated
for available airlift assets requires
with these data sources do not allow officials to determine whether DOD
the department to use airlift assets
used aircraft capacity as efficiently as possible. In the absence of data about
as efficiently as possible. However,
operational factors that impact payloads on specific missions, GAO
DOD’s primary objective
calculated the average payloads for each type of strategic aircraft and
emphasizes delivering “the right
compared these to historical average payloads, known as payload planning
items to the right place at the right
factors. GAO found that over 97 percent of C-5 missions and more than 81
time” over using aircraft capacity
percent of C-17 missions carried payloads below DOD’s payload planning
as efficiently as possible.
factors, as shown in the table below. However, because data on operational

Under the Comptroller General’s
factors that impact payloads were not available, GAO was not able to
authority, GAO sought to
determine whether these payloads indicate efficient use of aircraft capacity.
determine whether DOD used
Without adequate information about operational variables and how these
capacity on strategic military
impact mission payloads, AMC officials do not know the extent to which
aircraft transporting cargo and
opportunities exist to use aircraft more efficiently and whether operational
passengers between the United
tempo, cost, and wear and tear on aircraft could be reduced. In addition,
States and overseas theaters for
DOD officials do not have the benefit of such analysis to determine future
OEF and OIF as efficiently as
airlift requirements for planning purposes.
possible.

What GAO Recommends
Number and Percentage of Missions Below, Meeting, or Exceeding AMC’s Payload Planning
Factors

GAO is making recommendations
Type of
Number
Payload
Number of
Percentage of
Number of
Percentage of
to improve DOD’s collection and
aircraft
of missions
planning
missions
missions below missions meeting missions meeting
analysis of information on
factor
below
the payload
or exceeding
or exceeding
(in short
the payload
planning factor
the payload
the payload
operational factors that impact
tons)
planning factor
planning factor
planning factor
payloads transported on strategic
C-5
4,425
71.5
4,305
97.3
120
2.71
airlift missions. DOD concurred
C-17
8,909
45.0
7,263
81.5
1,646
18.5
with our recommendations.
C-130
551
12.0
539
97.8
12
2.2
However, based on DOD’s
C-141
511
19.0
378
74.0
133
26
comments, GAO has modified one
KC-10
186
32.6
152
81.7
34
18.3
recommendation.
KC-135
110
13.0
88
80.0
22
20
Total
14,692

12,725
1,967
Source: GAO analysis of DOD data.
www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-819.

Notes: This analysis does not consider operational factors used for mission planning because data
To view the full product, including the scope
were not available. Although the C-130, KC-10, and KC-135 are not considered strategic airlift
and methodology, click on the link above.
aircraft, GAO has included them in its analysis in those instances when AMC used these aircraft in
For more information, contact William Solis at
strategic airlift roles. Because C-5 aircraft have separate compartments for passengers and cargo,
(202) 512-5140 or solisw@gao.gov.
we use a 71.5 payload planning factor (the sum of the cargo and passenger payloads).
United States Government Accountability Office

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