Civil Reserve Airfleet

BACKGROUND

The Civil Reserve Air Fleet is a cooperative, voluntary program involving the DOT, DOD and the U.S. civil air carrier industry in a partnership to augment DOD aircraft capability during a national defense related crisis, Air carriers volunteer their aircraft to the CRAF program through contractual agreements with U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. In return, the participating carriers are given preference in carrying commercial peacetime cargo and passenger traffic for DOD.

HISTORY

• The CRAF program was established by a joint agreement between the DOD and the Department of Commerce on December 15, 1951.    The program was generated by DOD’s realization, following the Berlin airlift, of the need for supplemental airlift to support a major national defense emergency.
• The Secretary of Commerce, under Executive Order 10999, had the responsibility for developing plans for a national emergency preparedness program, of which CRAF is a part.
• The transportation portion of the emergency preparedness program, which included CRAF, was transferred to DOT upon the establishment of the Department in 1967.
• The Defense Production Act of 1950 is the authority under which the CRAF program is activated.

*For more information please contact Donna O'Berry.