The US Air Force Academy has partnered with the Air Force Research Lab and Cool Clean Technologies, Inc., an Eagan, Minn., company to help develop methods to produce biofuels based on algae oil. “These partnerships provide another superb research thrust for our cadets and the Air Force Academy in an exciting new technology,” said Don Veverka, director of the academy’s Environmental Research Center. Cadets from various disciplines will participate, including involvement in a potential pilot-scale production facility. Academy officials are also in talks with a researcher from Brooklyn University, N.Y., on cooperative research that would entail further investigation of additional algae strains as biofuels. (USAFA release)
The new defense reconciliation bill includes $7.2 billion for Air Force and Navy aviation accounts, almost half of which will buy more F-15EXs. While electronic warfare, drones, connectivity and airlift all get attention, the F-35 was conspicuously absent from the package, with no explanation given.