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.
