Inhofe: Navy ‘publicity stunt’ squandered millions, put sailors’ lives at risk

[txradioguy]

While lawmakers on Capitol Hill were struggling to find a solution to the threat of sequestration, the Navy spent more than $12 million at the Rim of the Pacific exercise painting ships, printing hats and transporting fuel to parade the Navy’s Great Green Fleet in front of thousands of spectators and foreign military observers.

Although Navy Secretary Ray Mabus claimed the Navy used funds from the Pentagon’s research and development budget, funding for the demonstration actually came from the Navy’s operations and management budget, which allocates money for training, supplies, equipment and “overall readiness, putting at risk the lives of our sailors,” said Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Inhofe.

In preparation for the demonstration, the Navy painted parts of its ships and planes green, made t-shirts and hats with the slogan “Keeping the Earth Green, One Bag of Biofuel at a Time” and transported thousands of gallons of biofuel to Hawaii – all on taxpayers’ dime.

“It’s much more than that,” Inhofe, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told The Daily Caller. “They painted the ships, did all these other things and we have requested from the Department of the Navy the breakdown of what the real cost is.”

The Navy reportedly paid $12 million alone for more than 425,000 gallons of biofuel, and GOP leaders are working to determine the overall cost of the Navy’s “publicity stunt.”

Inhofe has sent a letter to the Navy requesting a breakdown of the costs, aiming to determine why the Great Green Fleet demo was even necessary in the first place.

“This event seems to be more about putting dollars in the hands of the biofuel industry,” he said, calling the Great Green Fleet demonstration a “publicity stunt sure to make President Obama’s environmentalist base smile.”

Typically, the Navy would use the research and development budget to fund projects like the Great Green Fleet, allocating funds outlined in the budget for basic and applied scientific research, development, testing and evaluation.

In 2012, the Navy allocated more than $17 billion for research and development, with the president requesting $16 billion in his 2013 budget request to Congress.

The Navy unveiled its highly anticipated Great Green Fleet at RIMPAC, but came under a storm of fire from the GOP for using unnecessary funds to promote the Obama administration’s green agenda.

In an effort to defend the fleet, Mabus said the environmentally friendly ships and planes — which operate on a mix of algae and cooking oil — would reduce the Navy’s dependence on foreign oil.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/08/02/inhofe-navy-publicity-stunt-squandered-millions-put-sailors-lives-at-risk/

[zeitgeist]

I have been reading about this debacle for some time now.  No one seems to care that they are, well, pissing away money like drunken sailors on liberty.  And as a former drunken sailor I know what I am talking about.

One of the biggest boondoggles of modern time.  I forget what the last cost I saw was but I think it was about 65 bucks a gallon.

[DLR Pyro]

The job of the Military is to make loud noises, break things and kill people.

The Military does not exist to promote or showcase harebrained feel good green  scams.

[JohnnyReb]

Who is the idiot that required the NAVY to use biofuel? That idiot needs to be looking for a real job somewhere away from taxpayers money.

[Chris_]

Who is the idiot that required the NAVY to use biofuel? That idiot needs to be looking for a real job somewhere away from taxpayers money.

[EagleKeeper]

The Navy reportedly paid $12 million alone for more than 425,000 gallons of biofuel

So, just out of curiosity, can any of you squids drop any knowledge on us about non-nuc fuel capacity and range?

[zeitgeist]

So, just out of curiosity, can any of you squids drop any knowledge on us about non-nuc fuel capacity and range?

Lots of capacity.   

And like the old 4x range depends a lot on how fast you go. 

But for a better answer you could go here:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/gao/nsiad98001/a3.htm

[obumazombie]

The fossil fuel powered carriers would refuel every 3 to 4 days on average, while underway. To dry tanks, probably double that. Average SOA, 10 to 15 knots. Usually 11 to 12. Speed kills fuel economy in Carriers. SOA = Speed Of Advance. When not trying to get anywhere the carrier would alternate between 25 knots to steerage during and after launch and recoveries. All this is based on no wind.

[EagleKeeper]

Ok,

BTW zeitgeist thanks for the link.
Edit: Also thanks obumazombie


1 oil barrel = 42 US gallons

[ship class] CG-47             [Diesel fuel marine in barrels] 725

42X725=30450

(Reuters Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:53am EDT) - The U.S. Navy angered Republicans by spending $26 a gallon for biofuels for this week's Great Green Fleet demonstration.

So if you go 26X30450=791700

With these figures it costs $791.700 to fill up an empty Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser with biodiesel.

With straight JP-5...I have not been able to find a price for DFM, heck I don't know what the differnce is.

So I will go with JP-5 (for what it's worth, F-15s run on JP-4 and CG-47 class use gas turbine engines)

$4.00 a gallon.

4X30450=121800


So,

$791,700 for a biofuel fill up as opposed to $121,800 for a JP-5 fill up.

I suck at math so I encourge anybody to fix me up, also finding exact numbers is kinda hard too.

[Zathras]

In an effort to defend the fleet, Mabus said the environmentally friendly ships and planes — which operate on a mix of algae and cooking oil — would reduce the Navy’s dependence on foreign oil.

You know, there is another way to reduce the Navy's dependence on foreign oil. It's called DRILLING FOR THE OIL THAT WE HAVE IN THE US RIGHT NOW!!!! Too bad you morons behind this green energy boondoggle are too stupid to see this simple fact.

[txradioguy]

You know, there is another way to reduce the Navy's dependence on foreign oil. It's called DRILLING FOR THE OIL THAT WE HAVE IN THE US RIGHT NOW!!!! Too bad you morons behind this green energy boondoggle are too stupid to see this simple fact.

It's like they don't even consider that option...like it never even enters the conversation.

[docstew]

It's like they don't even consider that option...like it never even enters the conversation.

That's not a real option!! You just want to rape Gaia of her resources, you Earth-hater!!!11! [/DU mode]

[JohnnyReb]

"What do you mean I can't have corn to eat, it's in my car....and what do you mean I can't make cornbread anyway because there's no vegetable oil the NAVY burned it.

When we're all hungry and starving to death we'll turn to our savior, The One,...and he and government will save us all. That's Obama's/liberal's plan. We should turn on them now instead.

[txradioguy]

"What do you mean I can't have corn to eat, it's in my car....and what do you mean I can't make cornbread anyway because there's no vegetable oil the NAVY burned it.

When we're all hungry and starving to death we'll turn to our savior, The One,...and he and government will save us all. That's Obama's/liberal's plan. We should turn on them now instead.

I'm hedging my bets and investing heavily in the Solyent Food Corporation.

[Zathras]

That's not a real option!! You just want to rape Gaia of her resources, you Earth-hater!!!11! [/DU mode]

Damned right!!!!   

[JohnnyReb]

That's not a real option!! You just want to rape Gaia of her resources, you Earth-hater!!!11! [/DU mode]

But it feels good.

[obumazombie]

I'm hedging my bets and investing heavily in the Solyent Food Corporation.

Soylent green is, WHAT ?...

[DefiantSix]

The fossil fuel powered carriers would refuel every 3 to 4 days on average, while underway. To dry tanks, probably double that. Average SOA, 10 to 15 knots. Usually 11 to 12. Speed kills fuel economy in Carriers. SOA = Speed Of Advance. When not trying to get anywhere the carrier would alternate between 25 knots to steerage during and after launch and recoveries. All this is based on no wind.

Funny thing is, the Navy already has some of the most "environmentally friendly" ships in the world.  They're the ones with the (N) extension at the end of their class designator.

Like CVN-68 class carriers:

...or the SSBN-726 ballistic missile submarine class:

...or the CGN-36 guided missile cruiser class:

[NHSparky]

Ain't no more nuke cruisers.  Haven't been for nearly 20 years.

Fast attacks, however....

[DefiantSix]

Ain't no more nuke cruisers.  Haven't been for nearly 20 years.

Fast attacks, however....

I know, more's the pity.

[obumazombie]

Interesting trivia question...

What are the classes of Carriers ?

[DefiantSix]

Interesting trivia question...

What are the classes of Carriers ?

There is only one class of CVN still in service in the US Navy: the CVN-68 'Nimitz' class.  USS Enterprise has been decommissioned, as have the last of the oil-fired carriers (IIRC).

[obumazombie]

There is only one class of CVN still in service in the US Navy: the CVN-68 'Nimitz' class.  USS Enterprise has been decommissioned, as have the last of the oil-fired carriers (IIRC).

Good, well done, but that leaves 3 classes of retired carrier, what are they? No fair looking it up.
Hint, the oldest is named after a pacific WWII campaign.
The second oldest has a nickname synonymous with wildfires.
The most recently retired class has a girls name that was favored by two brother bikebuilders.

[Zathras]

Good, well done, but that leaves 3 classes of retired carrier, what are they? No fair looking it up.
Hint, the oldest is named after a pacific WWII campaign. USS Midway
The second oldest has a nickname synonymous with wildfires. USS Forestal
The most recently retired class has a girls name that was favored by two brother bikebuilders. USS Kitty Hawk

And there you go. 

[obumazombie]

And there you go. 

Well done. Are you sure you didn't look it up ?