Washington:
The dramatic evacuation of persons fleeing Afghanistan will involve a US military-civilian alliance that dates back to 1951 but which has been activated only twice prior to: in 1990-1991 in the course of the Gulf War and in 2003 in the course of the invasion of Iraq.
The Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) is a “cooperative, voluntary program” amongst the government and private airlines that makes it possible for the US military to use industrial aircraft in emergency circumstances when it requires extra capacity.
The partnership has its origins in the Berlin airlift of the Cold War, and makes it possible for the Defense Department (DOD) to “to augment… aircraft capability during a national defense related crisis,” according the Transportation Department.
In return for signing contracts with the government, “the participating carriers are given preference in carrying commercial peacetime cargo and passenger traffic for DOD.”
Desert Storm, Iraq War
Created on December 15, 1951, significantly less than 3 years soon after civilian planes have been referred to as on to relieve the Soviet blockade of Berlin, the CRAF was not activated till Operation Desert Storm, from August 1990 to May 1991.
The Pentagon initially requisitioned 38 airliners belonging to 16 businesses to transport troops and components to the Persian Gulf.
But in January 1991, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney referred to as for extra planes.
A total of 181 aircraft, belonging to 20 airlines have been referred to as into service.
The second activation was in February 2003, in the course of Operation Iraqi Freedom when Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld asked 22 airlines to provide 47 airliners and 31 cargo planes for the transport of passengers and military gear.
Afghanistan
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the most up-to-date CRAF activation on Sunday to help in the “evacuation of US citizens and personnel, Special Immigrant Visa applicants, and other at-risk individuals from Afghanistan.”
The civilian aircraft will not fly into the Taliban-controlled Afghan capital but will be used to transfer passengers from short-term protected havens to their destinations, which “allows military aircraft to focus on operations in and out of” Kabul, the Pentagon mentioned in a statement.
The work will involve 18 aircraft, such as from American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
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