cc: The Secretary of the Treasury
The Attorney General
The Secretary of Commerce
The Director, Bureau of the Budget
The Administrator, Federal Aviation Agency
The Chairman, Civil Aeronautics Board
The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Director of Central Intelligence
Enclosure
Memorandum From Twining to Gates
Washington, January 7,
1960
[Facsimile Page 2]
SUBJECT
- U.S. Policy with Respect to the Development of Cargo Air Lift (U)
(NSC 5919)
1. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have reviewed the proposed draft statement
of policy, subject as above, scheduled for consideration by the National
Security Council on Thursday, 7 January 1960.
2. The Joint Chiefs of Staff concur in the purpose of and the general
approach taken in the draft statement.
[Typeset Page 938]
3. The Joint Chiefs of Staff consider it mandatory that Military Air
Transport Service (MATS) be maintained
in a posture adequate to satisfy those wartime military requirements
which must be met by military aircraft and those other wartime military
requirements which are beyond the capability of civil air carriers.
4. From the viewpoint of economy, the Joint Chiefs of Staff consider it
necessary to utilize productively that military airlift capability
generated by MATS during
peacetime.
5. The Joint Chiefs of Staff recommend a review of the present
arrangements under which the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) is on call to the Government to
assure that it is immediately available to meet military
requirements.
6. Subject to the comments and recommendations contained in the Appendix
hereto, the Joint Chiefs of Staff consider NSC 5919 to be an acceptable policy statement.
For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
N.F.
Twining,
Chairman,
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appendix
Paper Prepared by the Joint Chiefs of Staff
[Facsimile Page 3]
SPECIFIC COMMENTS ON NSC 5919
1. Paragraph 10–a. Recommend deletion of
parenthetical expression “(e.g., the DC–7F and the L–1049H)” from the
first sentence.
REASON: It is not desirable to cite any
illustrative examples which, by implication, suggest that the need for a
modern cargo transport can be satisfied by aircraft which are
essentially converted passenger types.
2. Paragraph 10–b. Support the majority view.
REASON: Guaranteed loans may encourage and assist
in the development and procurement of new all-cargo aircraft. Such
aircraft would benefit both the military and commercial air industry as
new types of all-cargo aircraft would include more favorable
characteristics (e.g., range, economy of operation and ability to
operate from unsophisticated airports) than those available in aircraft
now used by civil air carriers for movement of cargo.
[Typeset Page 939]
3. Paragraph 16–a. Support the views of the
Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
REASON: Airlift should only be diverted to
certificated air carriers as procurement policies and small business
interests permit. Also, there may be instances where it would not be
feasible from a military viewpoint to divert traffic even though
possible, to certified air carriers as such carriers may not be able to
provide the desired or economic service required to meet military
requirements.
4. Paragraph 16–a. Recommend deletion of
parenthetical expression “(e.g, the DC–7F and the L–1049H)” from the
first sentence.
REASON: Same as for paragraph 1 above.
5. Paragraph 16–c–(1). Support the views of the
Department of State, Department of Defense, Office of Civil and Defense
Mobilization and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
REASON: If the MATS operation and capability is adjusted toward meeting
its wartime “hard-core” mission considerable airlift no doubt will be
transferred to commercial air carriers. The peacetime airlift capability
of MATS generated during peacetime
should be fully utilized by the Services. It is considered unsound and
uneconomical to procure airlift from commercial sources and at the same
time not utilize that airlift capability generated in realistic training
of the military air transport forces.
[Facsimile Page 4]
6. Paragraph 16–c–(2). Recommend paragraph be
amended (changes indicated in usual manner):
“(2) Assure, by appropriate contracts and agreements
backed by necessary legislation, that the civil aircraft
handling the cargo transferred to the civil air cargo fleet pursuant to
a and b above will be
immediately available to meet military and mobilization requirements
when necessary.”
REASON: To indicate that written contracts with
civil carriers and additional legislation are required to assure the
availability of civil carriers at all times.
7. Paragraph 17. Recommend paragraph be amended
(changes indicated in usual manner):
“17. Review the present arrangements under which the Civil Reserve Air
Fleet is on call by the Government to assure that the civil-cargo-air
fleet is immediately available to meet military and mobilization
requirements.”
REASON: The Civil Reserve Air Fleet is composed of
both civil passenger and cargo aircraft. To conduct a realistic review
of present arrangements under which the Civil Reserve Air Fleet is on
call by the Government it should be examined from the viewpoint of the
entire fleet.
[Typeset Page 940]
8. Paragraph 18. Recommend paragraph be amended
(changes indicated in usual manner):
“18. If legislation is proposed which would,
through
Legislation for purchase loan guarantees, which would encourage and facilitate the
acquisition by U.S. certificated air carriers of uncompromised cargo
aircraft produced by U.S. manufacturers, it should contain provisions to
ensure the immediate availability of these cargo aircraft to meet
military and mobilization requirements.”
REASON: The changed wording will provide a
positive statement and support paragraph 10–b as
written.
