Innovative and It Could Be Cheaper Than Oil:

Feb. 10, 2006

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Air Force Research Lab officials think there may be jet fuel in a lump of coal—the problem, of course, is to get it out. AFRL hosted a meeting recently with federal, state, and industry experts to discuss how the military could turn coal into a liquid, diesel-type fuel, reports the Dayton Daily News. The ultimate goal for the Air Force would be jet fuel, and the Army is also interested in gaining a new fuel source for tanks. According to the Ohio Coal Association, what was once an expensive process now may be competitive with the price of oil.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Promotions Soar to Decade-High

Procedural Failures, Poor Supervision Led to F-22 Maintainer Death: Report

Air Force Signs $2 Billion Deal to Re-Engine Two B-52s for Testing

PHOTOS: Air Force Flight Ops in Wake of Venezuela Raid

Related

F-35 Deliveries Soared to New Record in 2025

Jan. 8, 2026
Lockheed Martin says it delivered 191 F-35 fighters in 2025—just ahead of the goal it set for itself at the beginning of the year as it works to clear a backlog of jets in storage.

What to Know About the RQ-170 Drone, Venezuela, and Stealthy ISR

Jan. 7, 2026
When Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Air Force Gen. Dan Caine described the 150 aircraft used in Operation Absolute Resolve, the mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, he referenced many by name, including the F-35 and F-22 fighters and B-1 bomber. Not specified, however, were “remotely piloted drones,” among them a secretive aircraft spotted and photographed returning to Puerto…

PHOTOS: Air Force Flight Ops in Wake of Venezuela Raid

Jan. 6, 2026
The Air Force on Jan. 6 released nearly a dozen photos of F-22 and F-35 fighters returning to Puerto Rico after supporting the raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—the first official images of forces who participated in Operation Absolute Resolve.

Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Promotions Soar to Decade-High

Jan. 6, 2026
The Air Force is promoting 640 senior master sergeants to chief master sergeant this year, about a 27 percent increase over last cycle’s numbers. The Space Force is also increasing its senior master sergeant promotions by 48 percent.