size and mix of assets for the Air Force intertheater 
airlift force, with a particular focus on current and 
planned capabilities and costs of the C–5 aircraft 
and C–17 aircraft fleets. 
(2) CONDUCT OF STUDY.— 
(A) USE OF FFRDC.—The Secretary shall 
select to conduct the study required by sub-
section (a) a federally funded research and de-
velopment center (FFRDC) that has experience 
and expertise in conducting studies similar to 
the study required by subsection (a). 
(B) DEVELOPMENT
OF
STUDY
METHOD-
OLOGY.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the federally funded 
research and development center selected for 
the conduct of the study shall— 
(i) develop the methodology for the 
study; and 
(ii) submit the methodology to the 
Comptroller General of the United States 
for review. 
(C) COMPTROLLER
GENERAL
REVIEW.— 
Not later than 30 days after receipt of the 
methodology under subparagraph (B), the 
Comptroller General shall— 
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(i) review the methodology for pur-
poses of identifying any flaws or weak-
nesses in the methodology; and 
(ii) submit to the federally funded re-
search and development center a report 
that— 
(I) sets forth any flaws or weak-
nesses in the methodology identified 
by the Comptroller General in the re-
view; and 
(II) makes any recommendations 
the Comptroller General considers ad-
visable for improvements to the meth-
odology. 
(D) MODIFICATION OF METHODOLOGY.— 
Not later than 30 days after receipt of the re-
port under subparagraph (C), the federally 
funded research and development center shall— 
(i) modify the methodology in order to 
address flaws or weaknesses identified by 
the Comptroller General in the report and 
to improve the methodology in accordance 
with the recommendations, if any, made by 
the Comptroller General; and 
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(ii) submit to the congressional de-
fense committees a report that— 
(I) describes the modifications of 
the methodology made by the federally 
funded research and development cen-
ter; and 
(II) if the federally funded re-
search and development center does 
not improve the methodology in ac-
cordance with any particular rec-
ommendation of the Comptroller Gen-
eral, sets forth a description and ex-
planation of the reasons for such ac-
tion. 
(3) UTILIZATION
OF
OTHER
STUDIES.—The 
study shall build upon the results of the recent Mo-
bility Capabilities Studies of the Department of De-
fense, the on-going Intratheater Airlift Fleet Mix 
Analysis, and other appropriate studies and anal-
yses. The study should also include any results 
reached on the modified C–5A aircraft configured as 
part of the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining 
Program (RERP) configuration, as specified in sec-
tion 132 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
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for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108–136; 117 
Stat. 1411). 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study under subsection (a) 
shall address the following: 
(1) The state of the current intertheater airlift 
fleet of the Air Force, including the extent to which 
the increased use of heavy airlift aircraft in Oper-
ation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, 
and other ongoing operations is affecting the aging 
of the aircraft of that fleet. 
(2) The adequacy of the current intertheater 
airlift force, including whether or not the current 
target number of 301 airframes for the Air Force 
heavy lift aircraft fleet will be sufficient to support 
future expeditionary combat and non-combat mis-
sions as well as domestic and training mission de-
mands consistent with the requirements of the Na-
tional Military Strategy. 
(3) The optimal mix of C–5 aircraft and C–17 
aircraft for the intertheater airlift fleet of the Air 
Force, and any appropriate mix of C–5 aircraft and 
C–17 aircraft for intratheater airlift missions, in-
cluding an assessment of the following: 
(A) The cost advantages and disadvan-
tages of modernizing the C–5 aircraft fleet 
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when compared with procuring new C–17 air-
craft, which assessment shall be performed in 
concert with the Cost Analysis Improvement 
Group and be based on program life cycle cost 
estimates for the respective aircraft. 
(B) The military capability of the C–5 air-
craft and the C–17 aircraft, including number 
of lifetime flight hours, cargo and passenger 
carrying capabilities, and mission capable rates 
for such airframes. In the case of assumptions 
for the C–5 aircraft, and any assumptions made 
for the mission capable rates of the C–17 air-
craft, sensitivity analyses shall also be con-
ducted to test assumptions. The military capa-
bility study for the C–5 aircraft shall also in-
clude an assessment of the mission capable 
rates after each of the following: 
(i) Successful completion of the Avi-
onics Modernization Program (AMP) and 
the Reliability Enhancement and Re- 
engining Program (RERP). 
(ii) Partially successful completion of 
the Avionics Modernization Program and 
the Reliability Enhancement and Re- 
engining Program, with partially successful 
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completion of either such program being 
considered the point at which the contin-
ued execution of such program is no longer 
supported by cost-benefit analysis. 
(C) The tactical capabilities of strategic 
airlift aircraft, the potential increase in use of 
strategic airlift aircraft for tactical missions, 
and the value of such capabilities to tactical op-
erations. 
(D) The value of having more than one 
type of aircraft in the strategic airlift fleet, and 
the potential need to pursue a replacement air-
craft for the C–5 aircraft that is larger than 
the C–17 aircraft. 
(4) The means by which the Air Force was able 
to restart the production line for the C–5 aircraft 
after having closed the line for several years, and the 
actions to be taken to ensure the production line for 
the C–17 aircraft could be restarted if necessary, in-
cluding— 
(A) an analysis of the costs of closing and 
re-opening the production line for the C–5 air-
craft; and 
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(B) an assessment of the costs of closing 
and re-opening the production line for the C–17 
aircraft on a similar basis. 
(5) The financial effects of retiring, upgrading 
and maintaining, or continuing current operations of 
the C–5A aircraft fleet on procurement decisions re-
lating to the C–17 aircraft. 
(6) The impact that increasing the role and use 
of strategic airlift aircraft in intratheater operations 
will have on the current target number for strategic 
airlift aircraft of 301 airframes, including an anal-
ysis of the following: 
(A) The appropriateness of using C–5 air-
craft and C–17 aircraft for intratheater mis-
sions, as well as the efficacy of these aircraft to 
perform 
current 
and 
projected 
future 
intratheater missions. 
(B) The interplay of existing doctrinal 
intratheater airlift aircraft (such as the C–130 
aircraft and the future Joint Cargo Aircraft 
(JCA)) with an increasing role for C–5 aircraft 
and C–17 aircraft in intratheater missions. 
(C) The most appropriate and likely mis-
sions for C–5 aircraft and C–17 aircraft in 
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Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the 
Committee on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on the study required by sub-
section (a). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report shall include a 
comprehensive discussion of the findings of the 
study, including a particular focus on the following: 
(A) A description of lift requirements and 
operating profiles for intertheater airlift aircraft 
required to meet the National Military Strat-
egy, including assumptions regarding: 
(i) Current and future military com-
bat and support missions. 
(ii) The planned force structure 
growth of the Army and the Marine Corps. 
(iii) Potential changes in lift require-
ments, including the deployment of the Fu-
ture Combat Systems by the Army. 
(iv) New capability in strategic airlift 
to be provided by the KC(X) aircraft and 
the expected utilization of such capability, 
including its use in intratheater lift. 
(v) The utilization of the heavy lift 
aircraft in intratheater combat missions. 
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(vi) The availability and application of 
Civil Reserve Air Fleet assets in future 
military scenarios. 
(vii) Air mobility requirements associ-
ated with the Global Rebasing Initiative of 
the Department of Defense. 
(viii) Air mobility requirements in 
support of peacekeeping and humanitarian 
missions around the globe. 
(ix) Potential changes in lift require-
ments based on equipment procured for 
Iraq and Afghanistan. 
(B) A description of the assumptions uti-
lized in the study regarding aircraft perform-
ances and loading factors. 
(C) A comprehensive statement of the data 
and assumptions utilized in making program 
life cycle cost estimates. 
(D) A comparison of cost and risk associ-
ated with optimal mix airlift fleet versus pro-
gram of record airlift fleet. 
(3) FORM.—The report shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified 
annex. 
Æ 
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