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From: carlson@gateway (Bruce Carlson)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Refueling an advancing army
Message-ID: <1990Dec11.015214.26287@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 11 Dec 90 01:52:14 GMT
References: <1990Dec8.222647.28332@cbnews.att.com>
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From: carlson@gateway (Bruce Carlson)

In article <1990Dec8.222647.28332@cbnews.att.com> ssdc!jbasara@uunet.UU.NET (jim basara) writes:
>
>
>From: ssdc!jbasara@uunet.UU.NET  (jim basara)
>
>Could someone please give me some details on how an advancing army remains
>supplied, especially with fuel.  For instance, if we were to invade Kuwait,
>thousands of vehicles, some which require enormous amounts of fuel would
>be on the move.  How is the supplying of all these vehicles with fuel
>orchestrated?
>
>Thanks,
>
>jim basara
>uunet!ssdc!jbasara

I don't know anything about the delivery systems at higher echelons (from
seaborne tankers or pipelines), but I have seen what is used for delivery
to Army tactical units.

At the Support Command Level (Usually Corps Support Command, maybe a
more generic support command) if they do not have in-ground fuel tanks 
(although I assume we may have a few provided by the Saudis) they will move
and dispense fuel from tankers that are similar to those used to deliver
fuel to commercial gas stations.    The main limitation of these tankers is
that they are designed for built up roads (paved, or good quality
gravel) and cannot follow the troops into many tactical areas.  The 
large tankers are moved as far forward as possible and then stationed in 
a support area to provide fuel for specific units or within a particular
geographic area.  Every echelon has a support area (Corps, Division, 
Brigade/Battalion) and most support systems (maintenance, supply,
etc.) are hierarchical. 

To get fuel out to the units they will either use smaller tankers
(similar to the trucks used to deliver home fuel oil) or they will
mount tank-and-pump units on the back of tactical 2 1/2 ton or 5 ton
vehicles.  The tactical vehicles are all-wheel-drive and can carry two
500 gallon fuel pods in the truck and pull a trailer that carries another
500 gallon pod.  They can travel over rough country and poor roads, but 
may have to reduce the load under poor road conditions (too much weight
and too easy to get stuck and/or break the truck). 

Most vehicles will be refueled directly from the tanker or fuel pod.  
5 gallon gas cans will be used for small generators (up to about 10 kw)
and to hold spare fuel on tactical vehicles.  Large generators (60 kw
range) usually are truck mounted and pull a trailer with fuel pod
behind the truck.  The smaller trailer-mounted generators have built-in 
fuel tanks and brackets to carry about 6 5-gallon cans.

There are other more exotic fuel delivery systems, such as fuel bladders that
can be carried by helicopter.  I know we have them, but I've never seen them
used in peacetime exercises.

Bruce Carlson
carlson@gateway.mitre.org