Life-Cycle Management - Army Logistics University - U.S. Army

pump wear, and no
measured differences
in engine
operating temperatures
were noted,
which dispelled the
fears of engines
overheating because
of supposedly hotter
burning fuels.
One of the more
significant and comprehensive
tests of
JP8 was a field demonstrationconducted
at Fort Bliss,
Texas, from October
1988 through July
1991. This field
demonstration involved
about 2,800
diesel-powered
vehicles and pieces
of equipment that
consumed over 4.7
million gallons of
JP8. The demonstration
proved successful: no catastrophic failures
were attributed to JP8. In fact, no major differences in
procurement costs, fuel consumption, oil change intervals,
or component replacements were identified when
compared to historical data for the same fleet of vehicles
and equipment using diesel fuel.
Implementation of the SFC Since 1990
When approved by the combatant commander, the
primary fuel support for air and ground forces in overseas
theaters will be a single, kerosene-based fuel. The
SFC was first implemented in December 1989, when
JP5 was used as the single fuel during Operation Just
Cause in Panama.
In August 1990, DOD implemented the SFC by
providing Jet A1 (JP8 without its three mandatory
additives) for U.S. forces in Operations Desert Shield
and Desert Storm. During those operations, some Air
Force units were located on bases where only JP4,
which could not be used in ground vehicles and equipment,
was available. Some Army units requested
diesel fuel instead of JP8 because JP8 did not make
acceptable smoke in the M1 Abrams’ exhaust-system
smoke generators. Further compounding the problems
was the lack of training of ground units, which would
have reduced their initial concerns about using aviation
fuels in ground vehicles and equipment. Despite
these problems, the SFC was considered a success.
The SFC was implemented
next for
combat operations in
Somalia, Haiti, and
the eastern Balkans
with the same success
that it had achieved
during Operations
Desert Shield and
Desert Storm.
Minor Problems
During Operations
Desert Shield and
Desert Storm, certain
families of engines that
used fuel-lubricated,
rotary-distribution,
fuel-injection pumps
experienced some operational
problems
that resulted in hotstarting
difficulty and
gradual loss of power.
(Hot starting refers to
restarting a vehicle
while its engine is
still hot.) Usually, the engines that experienced the
most problems were the General Motors 6.2-liter and
6.5-liter engines, which use the commercially manufactured
Stanadyne fuel-injection pump. These
engines power smaller tactical wheeled vehicles, such
as CUCVs and high-mobility, multipurpose, wheeled
vehicles (HMMWVs). The Stanadyne fuel-injection
pump is used on a variety of other engine systems that
provide power to combat support and combat service
support equipment.
Causes of the problems with the engines included—
• Sustained operation during high temperatures.
• Failure to retrofit the Stanadyne fuel-injection
pump with elastomer insert drive governor weight
retainer assemblies.
• Improperly manufactured replacement parts.
• Corrosion.
• Unauthorized oils and fluids added to Jet A1 fuel.
• Use of Jet A1 that did not contain corrosion
inhibitor and lubrication-enhancing additives.
The viscosity of the Jet A1 fuel being supplied by
Saudi Arabia under a host nation support agreement
was very low, as was the sulfur content, which further
compounded the hot-starting problems.
Ironically, none of these problems occurred during
the extensive testing at Fort Bliss. In hindsight, the test
at Fort Bliss used JP8, which has a higher viscosity
than the Jet A1 fuel typically refined in the Middle
A fuel specialist with the 127th Area Support Battalion,
Division Supply Command, 1st Armored Division, signals
the pump truck operator to stop the flow while another fuel
specialist prepares to unhitch the fuel line from a UH–60
Black Hawk helicopter at Baghdad International Airport.
ARMY LOGISTICIAN PROFESSIONAL BULLETIN OF UNITED STATES ARMY LOGISTICS
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