USAF Seeks To Slash C-17 Fuel Use In New Efficiency Program

The Air Force's new pilot program targets its largest fuel consumer, the C-17 Globemaster III, and takes cues from commercial airlines strategies.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, February 03, 2022 at 05:32 PM ET

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Staff Sergeant John Eller conducts preflight checks on a C-17 Globemaster III. [Credit: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force is launching the Mission Execution Excellence Program (MEEP), a pilot program at Joint Base Charleston and Travis Air Base, to adopt commercial airline fuel efficiency strategies.
MEEP aims to significantly reduce the C-17 Globemaster III's fuel consumption, targeting up to $80 million in savings and a 3 percent increase in mission effectiveness per gallon of fuel.
The strategies include precision fuel planning, reducing engine use during taxi, limiting auxiliary power unit use, and employing continuous descent operations and optimal cruise altitudes.
This initiative aligns with the Department of Defense's broader efforts to integrate climate change considerations and efficiency into operations, as the Air Force is a major federal energy consumer.

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In a bid to cut its aviation gas bill, the U.S. Air Force is employing new fuel efficiency strategies that take cues from commercial airlines, the service announced.

The new pilot program—dubbed the Mission Execution Excellence Program (MEEP)—targets the largest fuel guzzler in the fleet: the C-17 Globemaster III. The test program will roll out at Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina and Travis Air Base in California and run through the end of the year.