Product Fuel Tankers: Weakness in Strategic Readiness.
Abstract
This study examines the problems associated with maintaining a viable number of distilled bulk petroleum product fuel tankers available to the United States government and military to haul fuel to the strategic battlefields in the future. With the employment of mechanized ground forces, rotary and fixed wing aircraft, and vehicles that are dependent on petroleum fuel, the strategic campaign to defeat an enemy may be jeopardized by the lack of available fuel tankers to transport bulk fuel stocks into theater at the time when resupply stocks are needed. Of particular importance is the lack of commercial product fuel tankers that can be brought under United States government contract without seriously jeopardizing the global economy that these specialized ships normally serve. A clever and determined enemy can destroy or deny the use of the finite number of bulk petroleum product fuel tankers supporting commercial industry with the end result being a defeat or stalemate delivered to United States forces through lack of strategic fuel supplies. The limited number of for hire product fuel tankers in service are incapable of satisfying the fuel haul requirements of the Department of Defense in times of crisis or emergency.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 15, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA327304
Entities
People
- Humberto L. Quintanilla Ii
Organizations
- Naval War College