The Air Force is looking to use alternative aviation fuel mixtures that contain up to 50 percent biomass-derived fuel or synthetic fuel in combination with 50 percent traditional JP-8 fuel, says Jeff Braun, alternative fuels certification office director at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Already, fleet-wide certification of a 50-50 blend of JP-8 and synthetic paraffinic kerosene is nearing completion. Now, the focus is on approving mixtures that feature some percentage of hydro-treated renewable jet fuel that is derived from biomass. Braun told the Daily Report that any combination of HRJ and SPK that adds up to 50 percent of the fuel blend could be possible as long as it meets the Air Force’s specifications for performance and safety. The service is “agnostic” with respect to the HRJ source, be it animal fat (e.g., beef tallow, chicken fat), plant oil (e.g., camelina or algae), or a combination thereof, he said.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
