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NEW THINKING TO SOLVE OLD CHALLENGES: In 1939 the Heinkel He 178 became the first aircraft to be successfully powered by a turbojet engine. The inventor, Dr Hans Von Ohain of Germany, chose gasoline as its fuel because it was widely available and was used in all piston engine aircraft. Similarly in 1941, Sir Frank Whittle of Great Britain used illuminating kerosene for his turbojet, again because it was widely available; an early indication that turbojet engines might prove more tolerant of a wider range of fuel types than piston engines. In these early years of development therefore, jet fuel properties were primarily dictated by fuel system constraints, operational requirements and, ultimately, by availability. The first provisional jet fuel specifications were published in 1943 in England and 1944 in the USA. As engines and specifications developed, it became apparent that fuel properties such as freeze point and higher volatility were key to defining jet fuel characteristics. Jet fuels have accordingly evolved into the most regulated transportation fuels with an extensive set of specifications. In turn, this has led to increased dependence and demand for crude oil. For example, Australia is heavily dependent on imports, a situation that shows no sign of changing in the immediate future. Importantly, the dependence on oil imports leaves Australia exposed to global events, such as the 13 September 2019 drone attacks in Saudi Arabia, which led to a 13 percent increase in fuel prices. Similarly, the impact of the COVID-19 global crisis on the supply of liquid fuel into Australia cannot be predicted. While the Australian government might leave its ports open for the delivery of liquid fuel into the country, the liquid fuel
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supply chain will be adversely affected if the delivery of oil ceases. In April 2019, the Department of the Environment and Energy released its interim report titled Liquid Fuel Security Review. The report recognises the complexities of the liquid fuel market and suggests that while supply shortages have potentially high consequences for Australia, threats to fuel security have a low likelihood of occurring with the core assumption of uninterrupted supply through the Indo- Pacific. Recent events such as Queensland closing its ports to foreign vessels suggests a weak foundation for such an assumption. In contrast, in his 2018 Australian Defence Magazine article, former Deputy Chief of Air Force John Blackburn aptly highlights that the Government’s marketbased focus attempts to shift responsibility to the industry. Given the events in Saudi Arabia and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, liquid fuel security is a national security concern. It is of direct consequence to the ADF’s ability to raise, train, sustain and project the joint forces to create the necessary effects. Leaving this critical element of national security to the market places existing liquid fuel security policy at risk, potentially affecting the ADF’s ability to deliver desired outcomes when necessary. Akin to the rest of Australia, the ADF is reliant on liquid fuel supply. Fuel is ADF’s largest single commodity expenditure, amounting in 2016-2017 to 423 million litres of fuel, costing approximately A$423 million. The Air Force consumes about 70 percent of the total, followed by the Navy. These figures place the ADF as one of the single largest liquid fuel users in Australia, providing substantial leverage in influencing the liquid fuel market.
