Within the next five years, half of the jet fuel that the Air Force consumes domestically each year will be synthetic fuel blends, said Kevin Geiss, the service’s deputy assistant secretary for energy. Speaking Wednesday at an AFA-sponsored event in Arlington, Va., Geiss said this approach would protect the service from fuel price volatility, while allowing the US government to purchase greater amounts of fuel from domestic sources. “This gives us greater control over our destiny and makes us more adaptable and agile in defending our interests,” he said. Over the next 10 years to 15 years, the Air Force will see the emergence of more fuel-efficient engines, such as those in development under the ADVENT program (see below), he said. “Not only will this save us more money on fuel costs, it also gives our aircraft more range, increases time on station, and reduces the logistics burden due to refueling,” said Geiss. By 2025, one quarter of the electric power that the Air Force consumes each year will come from renewable sources, such as wind or solar, he said. These kinds of projects could save the Air Force “tens of millions of dollars annually,” he added.
So many new F-35s have piled up waiting for TR-3 upgrade testing to conclude that it will take a year to deliver them all once deliveries get the green light to resume, according to a new Government Accountability Office report. That go-ahead isn't likely to happen right away.