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Oct 24, 2023

Which Kinds Of Fuel Do Military Aircraft Use?

Most air force's use JP-8 jet fuel. Today we will look at what kind of fuel the

Most air force's use JP-8 jet fuel.

Today we will look at what kind of fuel the military worldwide use for their aircraft. Before we get into that, let's first look at fuel in more detail to understand what it is and how it becomes jet fuel. When crude oil is pumped out of the ground, it comprises various compounds of carbon and hydrogen. It also contains small amounts of sulfur and metal non-hydrocarbons.

The crude oil is then taken to refineries, where they turn it into light gases like butane and propane, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel heating oil, and heavy oil used for asphalt. All oil refineries do this by using three steps which are:

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To separate oil, it is passed through hot furnaces that produce vapor and liquids that are then discharged into distillation units. Once inside the distillation unit, the vapors and liquids separate into different components. The heavy elements sink to the bottom while the lighter ones rise to the top. The components at the top are liquefied refinery gases and gasoline; Kerosene can be found in the middle, and those with the highest boiling points settle on the bottom.

After distillation, the heavier, lower-value components are processed again to produce gasoline.

The final step in the process is a treatment achieved by blending the gasoline with ethanol to make the type of gasoline you can put in your car.

Heavier and less volatile than gasoline, Kerosene is widely used in aviation to power gas-turbine engines; aircraft use Kerosene-type jet fuel because it does not need preheating.

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Jet A is the standard fuel used in America and some Canadian airports.

The rest of the world uses Jet A-1. The significant difference between the two is that Jet A-1 has a lower freezing point than Jet A.

The other thing that differentiates them is that Jet A-1 has an anti-static additive.

Used in extreme cold, Jet B is a naphtha-kerosene fuel specially formulated for cold weather performance. However, it is dangerous to handle because it contains 30% kerosene and 70% gasoline. Jet B is used in some military aircraft based in cold regions because its freezing point is −76 °F.

Used in Russia and CIS states, TS-1 jet fuel is made to Russian GOST 10227 standard and is more volatile than Jet A-1. It also has a low freezing point of −58 °F.

Classed as JP for Jet Propellant, air forces worldwide use different amounts of additives to give the fuel is JP number. Civilian Jet A-1 is almost identical to JP-8, while Jet B is similar to JP-4.

First used in the mid-1940s, JP-1 was nearly pure kerosene with a high flash point and a freezing point of −76 °F.

Used during World War Two, JP-2 was easy to produce, but because it had a high freezing point fell out of favor.

Even more volatile than JP-2, JP-3 was an attempt at producing a jet fuel that would be more widely available. Because it had a high evaporation rate, it saw limited use.

Also known as Avtag, JP-4 was the United States Air Force's go-to jet fuel from 1951 until 1995. Made up of 50% kerosene and 50% gasoline, JP-4 was widely available.

JP-5 is a kerosene-based jet fuel developed for use by the United States Navy on its aircraft carriers. The Navy likes JP-5 for its higher flash point and lesser tendency to cause fires.

Similar to JP-5 but more stable and with a lower freezing point, JP-6 was developed for after-burning turbojet engines. It was first used to power the North American XB-70 Valkyrie during supersonic flight.

JP-7 jet fuel was developed for the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird to maintain Mach 3 speeds.

JP-8 is the military standard jet fuel used by all NATO air forces. Universally available, JP-8 is a kerosene-based fuel used in turbine-powered aircraft and diesel-powered military vehicles. JP-8 is expected to be used by all NATO countries until at least 2025.

Higher JP fuels like JP-9 and JP-10 are used to power cruise missiles like the AGM-86 ALCM and the Tomahawk.

Journalist - Mark is an experienced travel journalist having published work in the industry for more than seven years. His enthusiasm for aviation news and wealth of experience lends itself to some excellent insight, with his work cited in Forbes amongst other publications. Based in Alicante, Spain.