A team from Arnold Engineering & Development Center in Tennessee transported special equipment to Tinker AFB, Okla., to conduct “exhaust gas analysis” for a B-52 bomber engine burning a synthetic fuel blend derived from natural gas. Officials said the test results would aid a flight test slated for next month when USAF will fly a B-52 using the synthetic Fischer-Tropsch fuel in two of its eight engines. The AEDC-led tests verified that the synthetic fuel blend would not hamper engine performance or release more emissions than the standard JP-8 jet fuel.
The U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…