USAF Fuel Cost Blowout Cuts Weapons Research

The Pentagon is discovering it’s not immune from the high gas prices that have overwhelmed taxpayers’ cheque books and dampened summer travel plans across the U.S. Defense Dept. planners are now estimating fuel costs may add as much as $4 billion to what was already expected to be a shortfall of nearly $6 billion in Fiscal 2007 and each year following. This nearly doubles the predicted annual deficit of about $10 billion.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper says he cannot confirm the impact on the upcoming Fiscal 2007 budget, which goes to Congress in February, but it “is enough to be worried about.” Because USAF operates the bulk of the Defence Dept.’s gas-guzzling aircraft, it generally consumes the largest amount of fuel. Meanwhile, the service is cutting back by $3 billion this fiscal year.
Aviation Week and Space Technology via EnergyBulletin.net