---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 9511"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "9511"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/9511"
units:
  - "Subtitle D — Air Force and Space Force"
  - "Part IV — Service, Supply, and Procurement"
  - "Chapter 961 — Civil Reserve Air Fleet"
---

# §9511. Definitions


In this chapter:

- (1) The terms “aircraft”, “citizen of the United States”, “civil aircraft”, “person”, and “public aircraft” have the meanings given those terms by [section 40102(a) of title 49](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a).
- (2) The term “passenger-cargo combined aircraft” means a [civil aircraft](#1) equipped so that its main deck can be used to carry both passengers and property (including mail) simultaneously.
- (3) The term “cargo-capable aircraft” means a [civil aircraft](#1) equipped so that all or substantially all of the [aircraft](#1)’s capacity can be used for the carriage of property or mail.
- (4) The term “passenger aircraft” means a [civil aircraft](#1) equipped so that its main deck can be used for the carriage of individuals and cannot be used principally, without major modification, for the carriage of property or mail.
- (5) The term “cargo-convertible aircraft” means a [passenger aircraft](#4) equipped or designed so that all or substantially all of the main deck of the [aircraft](#1) can be readily converted for the carriage of property or mail.
- (6) The term “Civil Reserve Air Fleet” means those [aircraft](#1) allocated, or identified for allocation, to the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense under section 101 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 ([50 U.S.C. 4511](/usc/50/4511.md)), or made available (or agreed to be made available) for use by the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense under a contract made under this title, as part of the program developed by the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense through which the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense augments its airlift capability by use of [civil aircraft](#1).
- (7) The term “contractor” means a [citizen of the United States](#1) (A) who owns or controls, or who will own or control, a new or [existing aircraft](#8) and who contracts with the [Secretary](#10) under [section 9513 of this title](/usc/10/9513.md) to modify that [aircraft](#1) by including or incorporating specified [defense features](#11) in that [aircraft](#1) and to commit that [aircraft](#1) to the [Civil Reserve Air Fleet](#6), (B) who subsequently obtains ownership or control of a [civil aircraft](#1) covered by such a contract and assumes all existing obligations under that contract, or (C) who owns or controls, or will own or control, new or [existing aircraft](#8) and who, by contract, commits some or all of such [aircraft](#1) to the [Civil Reserve Air Fleet](#6).
- (8) The term “existing aircraft” means a [civil aircraft](#1) other than a [new aircraft](#9).
- (9) The term “new aircraft” means a [civil aircraft](#1) that a manufacturer has not begun to assemble before the [aircraft](#1) is covered by a contract under [section 9513 of this title](/usc/10/9513.md).
- (10) The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Defense.
- (11) The term “defense feature” means equipment or design features included or incorporated in a [civil aircraft](#1) which ensures the compatibility of such [aircraft](#1) with the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense airlift system. Such term [includes](/usc/10/101.md?p=g-4) any equipment or design feature which enables such [aircraft](#1) to be readily modified for use as an aeromedical [aircraft](#1) or a cargo-convertible, cargo-capable, or [passenger-cargo combined aircraft](#2).
- (12) The term “Civil Reserve Air Fleet program” means the program developed by the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense through which the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense augments its airlift capability by use of [civil aircraft](#1).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 97–86, title IX, § 915(2), Dec. 1, 1981, 95 Stat. 1125; amended Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title XII, § 1231(17), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1161; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XII, § 1233(k)(2), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 2058; Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title XVI, § 1636(a), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1609; Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(b)(2), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1373; Pub. L. 103–355, title III, § 3031, Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3334; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title X, § 1085(b)(3), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 1005; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title X, § 1081(b)(4)(C), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2419; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title X, § 1083(a)(1), (c)(1)(B), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1922, 1923.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2021—Pars. (7), (9). Pub. L. 117–81, § 1083(c)(1)(B), substituted “section 9513” for “section 9512”.

Par. (10). Pub. L. 117–81, § 1083(a)(1), amended par. (10) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (10) read as follows: “The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of the Air Force.”

2016—Par. (6). Pub. L. 114–328 substituted “(50 U.S.C. 4511)” for “(50 U.S.C. App. 2071)”.

2015—Par. (12). Pub. L. 114–92 added par. (12).

1994—Pub. L. 103–355, § 3031(c), substituted “In this chapter:” for “In this subchapter:” in introductory provisions.

Par. (1). Pub. L. 103–355, § 3031(b)(1)(C), which directed substitution of “section 40102 of title 49” for “section 101 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. 1301)”, could not be executed because of the intervening amendment by Pub. L. 103–272 which substituted “section 40102(a) of title 49” for “section 101 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. 1301)”, see below.

Pub. L. 103–355, § 3031(b)(1)(A), (B), inserted “ ‘civil aircraft’,” before “ ‘person’,” and substituted “meanings” for “meaning”.

Pub. L. 103–272 substituted “section 40102(a) of title 49” for “section 101 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. 1301)”.

Par. (6). Pub. L. 103–355, § 3031(b)(2), (3), redesignated par. (7) as (6) and struck out former par. (6) which read as follows: “The term ‘civil aircraft’ means an aircraft other than a public aircraft.”

Par. (7). Pub. L. 103–355, § 3031(b)(3), redesignated par. (8) as (7). Former par. (7) redesignated (6).

Par. (8). Pub. L. 103–355, § 3031(b)(3), redesignated par. (9) as (8). Former par. (8) redesignated (7).

Pub. L. 103–355, § 3031(a)(1), inserted “under section 9512 of this title” after “and who contracts with the Secretary” in subpar. (A) and added subpar. (C).

Pars. (9), (10). Pub. L. 103–355, § 3031(b)(3), redesignated pars. (10) and (11) as (9) and (10), respectively. Former par. (9) redesignated (8).

Par. (11). Pub. L. 103–355, § 3031(b)(3), (4), redesignated par. (12) as (11), substituted “compatibility” for “interoperability”, and inserted “an aeromedical aircraft or” before “a cargo-convertible”. Former par. (11) redesignated (10).

Par. (12). Pub. L. 103–355, § 3031(b)(3), redesignated par. (12) as (11).

1989—Par. (2). Pub. L. 101–189, § 1636(a)(1), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “The term ‘cargo air service’ means the carriage of property or mail on the main deck of a civil aircraft.”

Par. (5). Pub. L. 101–189, § 1636(a)(2), amended par. (5) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (5) read as follows: “The term ‘cargo-convertible feature’ means equipment or design features included or incorporated in a passenger aircraft that can readily enable all or substantially all of that aircraft’s main deck to be used for the carriage of property or mail.”

Par. (8)(A). Pub. L. 101–189, § 1636(a)(3), substituted “a new or existing aircraft and who contracts with the Secretary to modify that aircraft by including or incorporating specified defense features” for “a civil aircraft and who contracts with the Secretary of the Air Force to modify that aircraft by including or incorporating cargo-convertible features suitable for defense purposes”.

Par. (12). Pub. L. 101–189, § 1636(a)(4), added par. (12).

1988—Par. (1). Pub. L. 100–456 substituted “The terms” for “The term”.

1987—Pars. (1) to (11). Pub. L. 100–180 inserted “The term” after each par. designation, and revised first word in quotes in pars. (1) to (6) and (8) to (10) to make initial letter of each word lowercase.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

For effective date and applicability of amendment by Pub. L. 103–355, see section 10001 of Pub. L. 103–355, set out as a note under section 8752 of this title.