Monday, May 13, 2024
Monday, May 13, 2024
A new Pentagon report has determined that money allocated in the fiscal year 2017 defense budget will be enough to implement the objectives of the Defense Department's updated 2016 operational energy strategy.
"Building on the initial strategy released in 2011, the updated 2016 Operational Energy Strategy reaffirms the role of operational energy in enabling our forces to perform worldwide missions, assesses changes in strategic direction and the operational environment, and establishes three revised objectives: increasing future capabilities, identifying and reducing risk, and enhancing current mission effectiveness," the May 2017 report, cleared for release on July 10, states.
For the FY-17 budget certification assessment, the Pentagon's energy, installations, and environment office "compared the proposed budgets of the Military Departments, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) against the three objectives in the 2016 Operational Energy Strategy," according to the report, which notes: "Overall, the Services, DLA, and OASD(EI&E) anticipate receiving over $2.4 billion for the execution of operational energy initiatives in FY 2017 and will request $13.4 billion over the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP)."
While the money allocated in FY-17 will be enough to carry out the overall requirements of the strategy, DOD "does have specific concerns," the report states:
For instance, the Department is pursuing improvements in aircraft propulsion that should provide significant improvements in warfighting capability, particularly in light of the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region. However, the Department is concerned over the schedule and fielding of new helicopter engines, as well as ensuring the Department maximizes the benefits of improved combat aircraft engines across Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. In addition, the Department is concerned over the lack of funding to sustain selected programs that may significantly improve capability. Including Service programs funded by the Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF), the Department encourages the Services to carefully deliberate how to capitalize on previous investments and improve capability on air, land, and sea.
Despite these concerns, the Department is making clear progress as logisticians, planners, and operators begin to treat energy as a constrained and vulnerable commodity that may not always be available in a combat environment. The FY 2017 [president's budget] supports the objectives of the 2016 Operational Energy Strategy and illustrates the comprehensive set of operational energy initiatives being pursued by the Department to increase capability, reduce risk, and enhance current mission effectiveness.