Sunday, August 20, 2006
Seems like a good idea
All the more so when you are trying to piss off the people who sit on most of the crude you need.
The Air Force will begin testing an alternative fuel program next month that it hopes will help wean the U.S. military away from its dependence on foreign oil.At $20/gal. it ain't cheap, yet.
A flight test involving a B-52 bomber is scheduled for the end of September at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to determine if synthetic fuel will provide the Air Force with a substitute for conventional jet fuel.
If successful, the B-52 flight will pave the way for the additional testing of combat aircraft, ships and ground vehicles, all part of a Pentagon effort known as the Assured Fuels Initiative that began in 2001.
The program's goal is to provide the U.S. military with cleaner fuels based on secure domestic sources such as coal and natural gas.
"Our goal is by 2025 to have 70 percent of our aviation fuel coming from coal-based sources," said Michael A. Aimone, the Air Force's assistant deputy chief of staff for logistics, installations and mission support.
The Air Force consumes more than 3 billion gallons of fuel a year, more than half of all fuel used by all federal agencies, including the other military services.
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