American fuel costs in war zone query.

[750turbo]

This has been bugging me for a bit.

Recently I read in Auto Express (I know that others may NOT like it...) that the TOTAL fuel cost per gallon was $240,(includes transportation etc) and that the daily usage was 960,000 gallons.

So:

Day $230,400,000 Week $1,612,800,000 Year $83,865,600,000

Is this utter bks?

(Not a thread on the rights & wrongs please)

Just found this.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/02/military-...

Edited by 750turbo on Wednesday 30th December 13:05

[ninja-lewis]

Not sure about those figures. The Economist says: "Liquid fuel ordinarily sells for $2-3 a gallon, but by the time it reaches a war zone the cost is much higher: about $15 for delivery to a big FOB in Afghanistan and as much as $400 to an outpost that, say, has to be resupplied by helicopter."

http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/tq/Prin...

[TEKNOPUG]

Hmmm…..

Fully-laden Humvee, say, 5 mpg? 100 miles in a day. 20 gallons. 48,000 Humvees would use 960,000 gallons……

I don’t know how many Humvees the army have but probably not 48,000…..

However, the M1A Tank uses a gas turbine engine which uses an horrific amount of fuel. Then add in all the support trunks and armoured vehicles. Include all the aircraft sorties and UAV, plus any naval task-force and you could see how you could get through that amount of fuel in the first few days of an invasion liberation. But surely not EVERY day?!

[Jimbeaux]

Here is the future for fuel, especially the military's. Algae diesel is already here:

http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2009/09/...

http://www.energyboom.com/biofuels/solazyme-lands-...

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4...

[jeff m]

The Huffington post article looks similar to an article in Vanity Fair last year which was lambasting Halburton for the delivery costs, among other things.

I thought the costs were in keeping with the task. They are driving a convoy of tankers across a desert inhabited by people who don't like them. That's pretty risky
I would not like to pay Halburtons workers compensation insurance.
(Actually I think they are "self risk")

[Newc]

An F15 on afterburner is using just under 1 gallon of fuel per second.

[Jasandjules]

I think this thread shows why they invaded a nice war zone with lots of oii nearby....

[NDA]

Jasandjules said:

I think this thread shows why they we invaded a nice war zone with lots of oii nearby....

EFA

[Ozzie Osmond]

Sounds like utter tosh.

Many armies have moved to an "all diesel" policy for their vehicles. Advantages include,

- Fuel tank less likely to explode with diesel than petrol

- Only need to deliver one type of fuel into the war theatre

- Diesel engines will generally accept a wide range of fuel quality

- Acceptable fuel is widely available.