via Lockheed Martin

Today, August 19th, is the U.S. National Aviation Day and what better way to celebrate than with a video of first night time vertical landing of F-35B on a carrier deck.  The video shows a U.S. Marine Corps test pilot performing the first night-time vertical landing aboard the USS WASP  on August 14 and it looks equal parts scary and awesome seen in the neon green glow of the night-vision camera. It is safe to say that it adds a new dimension and immense depth to the strike capability of a carrier group with this new feature added.

* Note: According to Wikipedia that National Aviation Day is observed to celebrate the development of aviation.  It was established in 1939 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who issued a presidential proclamation which designated the anniversary of Orville Wright‘s birthday to be National Aviation Day (Mr. Wright, born in 1871, was still alive when the proclamation was first issued, and would live another nine years). The proclamation was codified (USC 36:I:A:1:118), and it allows the sitting US President to proclaim August 19 as National Aviation Day each year, if desired. His/her proclamation may direct all federal buildings and installations to fly the US flag on that day, and may encourage citizens to observe the day with activities that promote interest in aviation.

We all know the American military is now engaged in two wars (one in over-drive – Afghanistan; and the other in a subdued mode in Iraq) for nearly a decade. The costs of these wars are taking a toll on the country’s morale and also on the budget.  Did I say it is freaking expensive to fight a war in the punishing terrains of Afghanistan?  If you haven’t already known this by now, here is something to perk you up.   According to an article published in Slate, the Army and Marines pay only $1 a gallon for the fuel itself but up to $400 a gallon for the truck convoys that move it through Pakistan and up the Khyber Pass.  Whoa! That’s some ungodly amount of greens for fueling our fight against the enemy!

Sometimes it is not even the money you pay but it is the amount of pain you have to endure to get this fuel safely across that makes this totally ridiculous!  The insurgent on the border areas often burn the NATO -commissioned tankers to the ground as they travel from Pakistan to Afghanistan.   here are some stunning stats, courtesy of NY Times (via HuffingtonPost)

• Fossil fuel is the number one thing the military imports into Afghanistan (30 to 80 percent of convoy loads)
• The military spends $1 per gallon of gas, but can then spend up to $400 more per gallon to get it to forward operating bases
• For every 24 fuel convoys, one soldier or civilian working on transport was killed

Apparently, there is another dimension to the toll it is taking – this one is on the environment. In light of all these impacts,  the Pentagon is now making a serious push to rid itself of oil, at least in meaningful levels.  If done right, this is could not only result in a significant agency wide monetary saving but also will create an environmentally-friendly fighting force that can reach.

Here is the link to the article on Slate and the one on HuffPost.