Boeing clears SAF green fuel blend for its military aircraft

A U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighter jet powered by a 50/50 biofuel blend conducts a supersonic flight test of the “Green Hornet” at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland in the U.S, on April 22, 2010 | Photo: U.S. Navy

U.S. aerospace and defence company Boeing announced last week it had approved a blend of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to power military aircraft it manufactures.

The company explained in a statement that ‘unblended, or “neat” SAF, which is totally free of fossil fuels, can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions up to 84 percent when compared to conventional jet fuel and offers the industry’s largest potential to reduce carbon emissions over the next 30 years in all aviation segments,’ adding that ‘currently, the maximum allowable limits for SAF is a 50-50 blend with conventional fossil fuels.’

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announced the certification of SAF under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) last year and said in a statement, ‘They were produced from wastes and are characterised by 75 percent to 84 percent lower CO2 emissions compared to conventional aviation fuels.’

According to Boeing, SAF is a category of synthetic fuels, which are ‘produced through alternative processes from sources other than petroleum’, and ‘uses recycled carbon from renewable materials like waste oils, municipal solid waste and plant residues.’ Boeing said SAF is a ‘fully approved fuel source’ for civilian and military aircraft that is ‘fully interchangeable with conventional fuels such as Jet A or Jet A-1,’ with multiple SAF types ‘incorporated into military fuels specifications, such as JP-8/NATO F-34 or JP-5/NATO F-44.’

All Boeing-built military aircraft, such as the P-8A Poseidon operated by the Royal Air Force, can fly on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at currently approved limits | Photo: Boeing

Boeing said in the statement it had ‘released guidance to defence customers that company-built military aircraft can operate on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at currently approved limits of up to 50% blend with conventional fuel.’ Saying that this guidance was intended to ‘support global militaries who are evaluating the adoption of SAF into their fleets’, the statement quoted senior vice president and chief operating officer at Boeing Defense, Space and Security, Steve Parker as saying, “SAF is widely accepted today as a drop-in replacement that works with existing aircraft, and also provides opportunities for global interoperability as well as strategic resilience through local fuel production.”

Boeing issued a ‘global No Technical Objection (NTO)’ applying to ‘all Boeing-built defence aircraft and their derivatives’ confirming ‘there are no technical issues with Boeing defence aircraft operating on synthetic aviation turbine fuels, which includes SAF.’

“The global NTO helps expedite the DOD’s approval of synthetic aviation turbine fuels critical to assuring worldwide interoperability,” said Rick Kamin, Operational Energy Manager for the Naval Air Systems Command and lead for the Tri-Service Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants Users Group’s synthetic aviation turbine fuels qualification team.

“We hope this NTO will clear the way for more widespread SAF adoption by our military customers and propel greater alignment between commercial and military fuel standards, to the benefit of all,” added Parker.

Kevin Billings, Honorary Group Captain, 601 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Steve Parker, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Boeing Defense, Space and Security, Air Vice-Marshal Shaun Harris Royal Air Force (RAF), Director Support, Chris Raymond, president and CEO of Boeing Global Services, and Steve Gillard, Boeing Regional Director UK, Europe, Middle East, Türkiye, Africa and Central Asia Sustainability, at the guidance on SAF released by Boeing last week | Photo: Boeing

According to the Director Support of the British Royal Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Shaun Harris, who called the announcement ‘a welcome step in the more widespread adoption of SAF by air forces around the world’, “The RAF cleared all of its military aircraft for 50% SAF (as a result of previous work in 2020). We have continued to be at the forefront of trailing the use of SAF with the data we have gathered informing the MoD’s Defence Aviation Net Zero Strategy.”

Boeing said it ‘collaborated with the U.S. Air Force on an in-depth fuel study as part of their efforts to certify the C-17 Globemaster to use SAF blends’ in 2010, and also ‘supported the supersonic flight of a U.S. Navy F/A-18F “Green Hornet” on a 50/50 SAF blend.’

Separately, European aerospace and defence company Airbus announced on Tuesday it had partnered with the Air France-KLM Group, Associated Energy Group, LLC, BNP Paribas, Burnham Sterling, Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc. and Qantas Airways Limited in a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) financing fund with commitments amounting to around USD 200 million to accelerate the production of SAF.