Combat green: How alternative fuels could help power armed forces

摘要

Worries of near-peer competition have underscored armed forces' need to remain supplied and combat effective. New platforms and systems fielded on land and at sea, from ships to wearable gear, have ever-increasing demands because of the electrification of sensors and weapons. Meanwhile, civilian and military industry and infrastructure are becoming more electrified and warier of fossil fuels.NATO has continued to focus on finding battlefield efficiencies. In a study conducted in 2020, entitled 'Energy and Defence: Reducing Dependencies and Vulnerabilities-Enhancing Efficiency (STO TR-SAS-119)', the alliance found "the amount of oil used per soldier continues to increase, hence impacting operational effectiveness by limiting range, speed, and freedom of movement". Furthermore, lessons learnt in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated the vulnerabilities of fuel convoys, which are expected to become more complicated and dangerous in near-peer conflict.