C-17 Primarily Performed an Intratheater Airlift Role During Deployment

Airlift aircraft, particularly the C-17, performed a major transportation support role during the Operation Joint Endeavor deployment, which occurred between the December 1995 and February 1996 time frame. 1.) There were few intertheater deployment requirements, which would have involved moving troops and equipment from the continental United States into the European theater. As this table shows, the C-17 flew about 26 percent of the total deployment airlift missions and carried about 44 percent of total cargo and 30 percent of total passengers. In addition, the contractor reported the C-17 achieved a mission capable rate of 86.2 percent versus a requirement of 81.2 percent during the same time period. The C-17 also performed well when moving outsize cargo, according to AMC representatives. Deployment Did Not Include the Opportunity for the C-17 to Perform the Full Range of Operational Capabilities

The Bosnia deployment airlift requirements did not include the need for any airlift aircraft to perform or demonstrate several of the airlift roles and missions which the Army considers important operational capabilities for the C-17 in providing support for certain Army missions. The C-17 had trouble performing, or did not perform, several of these tasks during operational testing and the RM&A evaluation. Scope and Methodology

To determine (1) how the C-17 was used during the deployment and (2) whether the deployment required airlift aircraft to perform any of the unique operational capabilities the C-17 is expected to perform, we interviewed officials and obtained, reviewed, and analyzed reports and electronic airlift transportation performance information.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO reviewed how the C-17 aircraft was used during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) peacekeeping force deployment to Bosnia, focusing on: (1) how well it performed during the deployment; and (2) whether deployment transportation requirements included the need for airlift aircraft to perform any of the C-17's expected operational capabilities.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) during Operation Joint Endeavor, the C-17 accomplished the airlift tasks required of it, as did other airlifters such as the C-141, the C-5, and the C-130; (2) the C-17 was used to satisfy the Army's immediate need for a high-capacity, short distance air transport to move troops, equipment, and outsize cargo from central Europe into the Bosnia area of operations; (3) the C-17 performed about 26 percent of the deployment airlift missions and carried about 44 percent of the cargo moved during the deployment; (4) the C-17 also performed a limited number of strategic airlift missions in which it delivered cargo from the continental United States to final destinations in Germany, Hungary, and Bosnia; (5) according to contractor reports, the C-17 achieved a mission capable rate of 86.2 percent during the December 1995 through February 1996 time frame compared to a required rate of 81.2 percent; (6) transportation needs of the Bosnia deployment did not offer the opportunity for any airlift aircraft to perform or demonstrate several operational roles and missions; and (7) consequently, the C-17 was not required to perform many tasks which it had trouble doing, or did not do, during operational testing.