Management of U.S. Air Force Aircraft Contractor Logistics Support Arrangements: Summary of Findings and Recommendations

Between fiscal years (FYs) 1996 and 2017, U.S. Air Force (USAF) spending on contractor logistics support (CLS) grew from 6 percent to 21 percent of aircraft operating and support costs. Although CLS constitutes one of the fastest-growing elements of aircraft operating and support costs, USAF leadership has had limited visibility into the drivers of those costs, leading to uncertainty about what the Air Force can do to manage the growth and whether such arrangements are cost-effective relative to organic support.