OCTOBER 1, 2019 – Energy is an essential enabler of military capability, and the Defense Department depends on energy-resilient forces and facilities to achieve its mission. In fiscal year 2018, DOD consumed more than 85 million barrels of fuel to power ships, aircraft, combat vehicles and contingency bases at a cost of nearly $9.2 billion. In the same year, at more than 500 military installations worldwide, DOD spent $3.4 billion on energy to power more than 585,000 facilities and 160,000 nontactical vehicles.
October marks Energy Action Month. Here are some things you may not know about why energy is important to DOD:
- Energy is a critical element to sustaining the force.
The National Defense Strategy says the homeland is no longer a sanctuary, and every domain — air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace — is contested. The operational environment is changing, and energy’s role as a critical enabler of military capability is growing.In support of the National Defense Strategy, two of the priorities for sustainment are to create and sustain resilient installations and prepare the battlefield for 2025. These align with the critical efforts DOD is executing to achieve its mission.
- DOD works to ensure resilient and secure energy for its forces and facilities.
People may assume the energy required to do their jobs will always be there at the flick of a switch or squeeze of a pump, but every mission, every exercise, every troop movement and every piece of equipment requires fuel or power. As weapons platforms become more lethal and missions change, the demand for resilient and secure energy grows to ensure sustainment of those systems.From new engines that give aircraft up to 30% more range and depot infrastructure modernization that reduces energy costs, to improved fuel distribution that can ensure troops have the fuel they need and the use of alternative financing for installation projects that sustain the mission through energy resilience, DOD is increasing warfighter capabilities through innovative technologies and smart energy use.
- DOD’s energy resilience efforts focus on an “all hazards” approach.
Multidomain battles will require a significant amount of fuel and power, and that increased demand comes with increased risk. DOD must anticipate attacks on its critical energy infrastructure and worldwide energy logistics forces. The department’s energy resilience efforts address risks from an “all hazards” approach, ensuring that resilient, secure energy is available to support critical missions regardless of the threat, including weather, natural events or direct attack.