Moving closer to achieving the objective of decreasing its need for petroleum-based fuels, the US Navy flew an MH60S Sea Hawk on a 50/50 biofuel blend November 18 in Patuxent River, Md.
The helicopter, from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 21 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, tested a fuel mixture made from the Camelina seed, which is in the same family of plants as the mustard seed and rapeseed.
Camelina needs little water or nitrogen to flourish and can be grown on marginal agricultural soil.
“These biofuels provide the Navy with an ‘off-ramp’ from petroleum to increased energy security,” Rear Admiral Philip Cullom, director, Navy Task Force Energy, said.