Los Angeles AFB, Calif., became the first Defense Department installation to host an all-electric-vehicle fleet with the rollout of 42 general-purpose, plug-in electric vehicles. Unveiled on Nov. 14, the electric and hybrid vehicles include sedans, trucks, and a 12-passenger van, according to an Air Force release. “From a mission, environmental, and fiscal perspective, this program simply makes good sense,” said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. “Energy is key to accomplishing the mission, and as the largest energy consumer in the federal government, we are always looking for opportunities to improve our resiliency, reduce our demand, and assure our energy supply,” said James. Charging stations are now in place on the base that allow the vehicles either to draw power from the base’s electrical grid or pass power to it, states the release. Los Angeles was the pilot base for this Vehicle-to-Grid demonstration, which the Air Force is expanding to JB Andrews, Md., and JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.