But there are also some nuclear-powered ships. Gasoline engines still power most of the Navy's surface vessels, such as the Arleigh Burke class of destroyers, which have 108,000 horsepower and sail at over 30 knots. Nuclear subs proliferated throughout the Cold War, and today all naval submarines are propelled by nuclear reactors. Until then, submarines had been powered by gasoline engines and played only a small role in naval affairs. In 1951, Congress authorized the Navy to build a nuclear-powered submarine. As Beatty points out, it's cheaper to send equipment by sea than by air because of marine engine technology. The Navy could be considered the most efficient of the three large military branches. Fuel economy drops, however, when it's off the freeway and navigating rocky Afghan terrain. 6 mpg, and a cargo vehicle like the M-1070 semi-trailer (designed to haul tanks) gets approximately 1.2 mpg.Īn Army Humvee gets between 10 and 14 mpg, about the same as the commercially available Hummer. An armored division of the Army can use as much as 600,000 gallons of fuel a day. At current oil prices, it takes more than $30 worth of fuel to deliver one gallon of jet fuel to a plane in flight.Īrmy vehicles get better mileage, but Beetle Bailey isn't exactly riding around in a Prius. Like many military aircraft, these planes are capable of midair refueling, but that gets even more expensive. 4 mpg, depending on conditions and speed, which tops out at Mach 2. Capable of sustaining supersonic speed without afterburners, the fighter jet gets an estimated. For air attacks and ground support, the F-22 Raptor is available. Even bigger, the C-5 Galaxy has a payload 270,000 pounds fully loaded, it gets just. The C-17 Globemaster cargo plane has a payload 170,900 pounds. "When the time is right, a C-17 will land and pick you up and take you where you need to go." In Pictures: Fuel-Sucking Military Vehicles "TransCom is like a very large airline," says Army Col. When it's time for an Army battalion to deploy, they hitch a ride on a cargo plane through the U.S. Jet fuel accounts for 71% of the entire military's petroleum consumption, in part because flyboys move around the majority of men and a lot of heavy equipment. So where does it all go? To the Air Force, mostly.
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