RAF leads the way to a green future
The first aircraft powered by synthetic fuel was achieved by the Royal Air Force and Zero Petroleum Limited in Kemble, Cirencester, UK, on 2 November 2021. (Photo: Zero Petroleum)
The Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Mike Wigston, spoke on 23 November about the RAF’s ambitious plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
It is appropriate that the RAF is leading the way to carbon neutrality, he said, as the service is responsible for around half of the MoD’s carbon footprint.
The first milestone will be developing RAF Leeming into a carbon-neutral airbase by 2025, the lessons learned will then be implemented across other bases.
However, the largest contributor to the RAF’s high level of emissions is the fuel used to fly. Wigston noted that aviation kerosene accounts for three-quarters of the RAF’s carbon footprint.
Advancements are being made to move away from reliance on kerosene. Many platforms now operate a 50/50 blend of synthetic fuels and kerosene. Moreover, the world’s first successful flight fuelled entirely by synthetic fuels occurred last week, Wigston said.
He added that the first zero-emission aircraft is expected by the end of the decade, which is likely to be a training aircraft.
Therein lies the problem, Wigston added; while synthetic fuels may be used on training aircraft, the technology is not advanced enough to power the next generation of combat aircraft.
There is much work to do, as he explained: ‘It will take decades, and I tell my next generation of leaders that it will largely fall to them to deliver’.
More from Air Warfare
-
BAE Systems reveals new GCAP demonstrator design with plans to fly by 2027
A key part in the trinational Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), this is the first crewed supersonic aircraft demonstrator to be built and developed in the UK in more than 40 years.
-
Kratos Defense makes European CCA push with Airbus partnership
Kratos’ XQ-58A Valkyrie will be equipped with an Airbus-made mission system to be offered as a ‘European’ collaborative combat aircraft option to the German Air Force.
-
“Gloves are off” as US Defense Secretary memo calls for sweeping drone procurement reform
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has promised to usher in a new era of “military drone dominance”.
-
Norway cleared for possible $2.6 billion HH-60W helicopter FMS
The possible sale for nine HH-60W by the US government could make Norway the first Foreign Military Sale customer for the rescue and combat helicopter and add to the country’s ongoing acquisition of Sikorsky-made helicopters.
-
Bell selected over Boeing to build DARPA SPRINT X-Plane
The programme first began in 2023 with Bell and Boeing’s concepts progressing to Phase 1B, in which testing has been carried out over the last year.