The Joint Cargo Aircraft Legislative Issues and the Way Ahead

Abstract

Abstract : The Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA), a joint acquisition program between the Army and Air Force, has had an unusual history, and has been a prime example of how differently the Department of Defense (DoD) and the United States Congress view service roles and missions, acquisition processes, and proper organization of each military branch. As an introduction to this topic, this paper intends to describe briefly the basic JCA program, differences between Army and Air Force approaches to the mission, and applicable leadership guidance and scientific studies. The primary focus will be, however, to look at Congress' actions regarding this program, discuss the varied issues that are important to legislators when making funding decisions on JCA, and analyze how those decisions affect Air Force intra-theater airlift plans. The recently released DoD Quadrennial Roles and Missions Review (QRMR) devoted a significant portion of the report to intra-theater airlift and the JCA. The Department of Defense decided the program would remain in both the Army and Air Force, with changes being made by each service to their concept of operations (CONOPS) to accommodate this joint mission. Without rehashing decades-old roles and mission debates about fixed-wing aircraft, done in great detail elsewhere1, this study will discuss the QRMR decision, analyze several other issues important to legislators, outline potential Congressional actions on JCA, and recommend Air Force actions in response to sometimes-conflicting military and legislative program guidance.