I have written about this before on Feral Jundi, and I always like going back to it. This concept is definitely ‘building snowmobiles’ material, because it brings together so many interesting concepts and makes sense at so many levels. I also think we will see these ‘Self-sufficiency in a Box’ concepts continue to expand as technologies and efficiencies of solar, wind and storage devices increase.
What gets me about Iraq and Afghanistan, is that they are solar and wind heavens. So systems that take advantage of that are great. And if a Skybuilt unit can generate 5 KW a day, that is pretty cool. (compared to 10 kw a day for a typical generator-just buy two Skybuilt units)
But the most important concept out of all of this, is the loss of lives because of attacks on convoys. I have had several of my comrades killed in Iraq, in convoy operations. Every military veteran of the conflict there, can say the same thing. IED and EFPs have done their damage, and the targets were usually massive supply convoys that supplied the insurgent’s diet of targets. It just killed me to know that the camp I worked out of, had supply convoys feeding it once and sometimes twice a week. That guys were risking their lives to get fuel and water and food to our camps. We all thanked them for the service, but I often times thought “isn’t there another way?”
Not to mention the fact that oil is one of the main reasons why we care so much about the middle east in the first place.
So at these sites, I would have loved to have seen water processing plants and solar/wind farms. And to think, one key mortar impact could easily take out a generator and screw over the entire camp. A power farm with various sources of energy spread out throughout the camp makes way more tactical sense. And why not drill for water at a camp?
The water issue really gets me, because water was responsible for more convoys than fuel for remote camps. We should be drilling for water, or processing water from local sources. And I even think recycled water should be looked at. And with the hot sun, solar distillers is totally possible in Iraq and Afghanistan. And during the winter, there is the snow in Afghanistan. The point being, convoys for fuel and water should be reduced to a once a month thing, and not a once or twice a week thing. It would save lives and it would make operational sense, both for contractors and for the military.
The last thing I wanted to mention is that Afghanistan will be the war zone to watch in the coming months and years. The enemy has switched gears and is focusing on that battlefield. Our relations with Iran and Russia are increasingly strained, and we are pouring more troops into the region that will need more logistical support. Not to mention the NATO presence, which Russia will no-doubt take an interest in messing with by proxy. So to sum it up, I am predicting a surge of attacks on supply trains coming in and out of Afghanistan, which could also mean a surge of private security to protect those convoys. And with that said, we must increase our self-sufficiency out there in order to minimize the logistics tail. –Head Jundi
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SkyBuilt Power MPS solar/battery system.
Commanders in Iraq Urgently Request Renewable Power Options
27-Jun-2007 06:19 EDT
On July 25, 2006 Al-Anbar commander and U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard Zilmer submitted an MNF-W priority 1 request pointing to the hazards inherent in American supply lines, and noted that the up to many of the supply convoys on Iraq’s roads (up to 70%, by some studies) are carrying fuel. Much of that fuel isn’t even for vehicles – it’s for diesel generators used to generate power at US bases et. al. In response, the document requests alternative energy solutions to power US forward operating bases… and the US military looks like it will act on the request.