Evening star., 1948-12-19
3-Month Cost Of MATS
Put at S46,407, ,9O4,
Including Air|ift

Cost OF operating the Military
Air Transport Service, including
planes in the Berlin airlift, was
SAC, ,407, ,9O4 for the three month
period ended September 80, a report
to Defense Secretary Forrestal re-
vealed yesterday.
MATS reported that 80 per cent
of its personnel and half its trans
port aircraft were concentrated on
the run into the Russian -blockaded
Berlin.
The 79,706-mile military airline
with 61,295 men and TOO aircraft
was formed last June with the
consolidation Of the Air Transport
Service of the Air Force and the
Naval Air Transport service.
That move was hailed as the first
major accomplishment of uniflca-
ton of the armed forces. However,
the report stated that it "is not
possible now and, from the results
of three months study, it appears
that 1t never will be possible to
total the columns of overall costs
of operating ATC plus MATS and
compare that figure with the cost
of MATS"
Accounting Systems Differ.
It gave as the reason for this the
'irreconcible systems of cost ac-
counting" employed by the Army
and Air Force on the one hand and
the Navy on the other.
1T was found that the Army and
Air Force systems of legislative ap-
preparation and fiscal procedures
demanded multitude of arbitrary
determinations to establish sepa-
rately the cost of domestic and
foreign airbase and air transport
functions" the report stated. "On
the other hand, completely diff
ferent appropriation and fiscal sys-
TEN in the Navy called for another
and elaborate system of arbitrary
determination of the cost Of Naval
services outside the MATS organ
ization to determine the overall
cost of Naval air transport. H.
I'm the final analyses 1t be-
came an example of the classic
problem OF adding apples and Or
anges,'" the report stated.
However, there have been clear
and substantial savings resulting
from the consolidation of terminals,
buildings, equipment and services, "
1t added. 1t pointed to the fact that
there now were 2,151 less personnel
employed in the combined operation
than in the separate airlines.
MATS has made study OF the
possibility of utilizing civil air trans
port in event of an emergency, and
the report added 1T appears that
strategic flour engine) transport
aircraft of civil air carriers may
have to be acquired by the military"
in any future war.
"A look at the globe makes it
obvious that practically all foreign
routes from the United States will
be of direct strategical importance,
with the possible exception of routes
to Canada, South America, and via
the South Atlantic to Central and
South Africa" it stated. THE main
tenance of these routes by
civil carriers should require only
relatively small quantity of strategic
aircraft"
It found that the next most valu-
able contribution that civil airlines
could make in an emergency was the
maintenance of strategic aircraft,
utilizing their existing shops, equip
ment and personnel.
For several months after D day,
1t is anticipated that maintenance
support on the air routes will be
performed within the continental
limits" 1t stated. 1.-The requirement
that the carriers furnish mainte-
nance for MATS aircraft probably
will continue for the duration of
the war"
Reports on Airlift.
The impact" of the Berlin air
lift was felt in every quarter of
the command" MATS reported.
Foreign schedules were seriously
disrupted. Participation of the Air
Force in the Pacific lift fell to
almost nothing"
But it found that "the heavy de-
mands of Vittles Berlin airlift
proved an excellent training ground
for flight and ground crews. Valu-
able experience was gained. Main
tenance crews and technicians also
learned from the airlift experience"
But the report warned that the
MATS C-54 fleet now employed on
the airlift was wearing out.
The obsolesence of the C-54 fleet
is such that by July, 1852, all the
present aircraft will be second-line
planes" the report said. "As long
as the airlift continues, the rate
of obsolesence will continue to in
crease"