Military's fuel costs spur look at gas-guzzlers

Posted on: Mar. 9th, 2006 || Source: usatoday.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

The Pentagon has found more reasons to retire the B-52 Stratofortress, and other old birds, claiming the old material is not fuel-efficient enough. However, another study claims the Air Force incorrectly calculated fuel costs and said upgrading the B-52's engines would save an estimated $9 billion, at fuel prices half their current level.

The Pentagon hasn't emphasized fuel efficiency for its aircraft, ships and vehicles, despite shortages that slowed U.S. troops in the two Iraq wars and warnings from its own experts.

"Although significant warfighting, logistics and cost benefits occur when weapons systems are made more fuel-efficient, these benefits are not valued or emphasized" in any of the services, the Defense Science Board, the Pentagon's most prestigious technical advisory panel, concluded in 2001.

That's still true, said Jacques Gansler, the undersecretary of Defense who sponsored the study.

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