A new report commissioned by DOD states that the US military will find handling crises around the world “unsustainable in the long term” because of rising fuel costs, reports Bryan Bender of the Boston Globe. According to Bender, who obtained a copy of “Transforming the Way DOD Looks at Energy” prepared by LMI Government Consulting, the report serves as a “potential blueprint for a new military energy strategy.” The Air Force, as DOD’s largest energy consumer—predominantly for aviation fuel—already has embarked on alternative fuel strategies, including synthetic fuel to propel aircraft and solar energy to run bases.
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.