The author briefly examines the world oil market and developments, as well as measures the Air Force might take to protect itself against high fuel prices and supply disruptions. One way the Air Force can help protect oil supplies is to leverage partnership building activities to promote security in producing nations. But in the end, the only effective way to reduce fuel costs is to use less fuel.

Cover: Promoting International Energy Security
Read Online

Promoting International Energy Security

Volume 1, Understanding Potential Air Force Roles

by James T. Bartis

Download

Download eBook for Free

Full Document

FormatFile SizeNotes
PDF file 0.6 MB

Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience.

Summary Only

FormatFile SizeNotes
PDF file 0.1 MB

Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience.

Purchase

Purchase Print Copy

 FormatList Price Price
Add to Cart Paperback38 pages $19.00 $15.20 20% Web Discount

Research Questions

  1. How might developments in the world oil market affect supplies of jet fuel?
  2. What measures can the Air Force take to protect itself against high fuel prices and supply disruptions?

This volume briefly examines the world oil market, how developments in that market might affect "wholesale" supplies of jet fuel, and what measures the Air Force might take to protect itself against high fuel prices and supply disruptions. To facilitate this examination, the authors conducted three exploratory studies, which are reported in the companion volumes and are summarized here. In general, the Air Force and the Department of Defense in general lack the economic clout to influence the market, simply because they do not buy a large enough amount of fuel. Furthermore, alternative fuels have limited, if any value. As a result, the only effective option for reducing fuel expenditures is to use less fuel. But the security of the supply is another matter. For a variety of reasons, the Air Force is not, by itself, able to ensure the worldwide energy supply. It can, however, contribute to its security through its relationships with and assistance to other nations, both direct and indirect. For example, partnerships with oil-producing nations can help them improve their internal security, which affect supplies.

Key Findings

Neither the U.S. Air Force nor DoD Has Enough Purchasing Power to Affect the world oil market

  • The services require considerable amounts of fuel to function, but the amounts are not significant in terms of the overall market. This limits their influence on such matters as price and supply.
  • Potential alternative fuels are of limited, if any value.
  • Thus, the only effective option for reducing fuel expenditures is to use less fuel.

The U.S. Air Force Can Help Oil-Producing Nations Whose Security Shortfalls Interfere with Production Improve Security

  • In some nations, security and instability are fundamental issues that can interfere with the production or transport of energy.
  • Air Force partnership-building activities can assist with security improvements
  • However, some nations have concerns about U.S. infringement on their sovereignty, and the U.S. government itself has concerns about human rights violations and corruption.

Efforts to Alleviate Supply-Chain Vulnerability Can Be Leveraged to Achieve Broader U.S. objectives

  • One example would be diffusion of tensions along the Asian sea-lanes, where our primary concern is the potential for conflict between the two regional pillars, India and China.
  • Energy security concerns also may help strengthen existing partnerships (e.g., Turkey) or building new partnerships (e.g., India) with current and prospective allies.

Table of Contents

  • Chapter One

    Introduction to Energy Security

  • Chapter Two

    World Oil Market Review

  • Chapter Three

    An Air Force Guide to Energy Security

Research conducted by

The research described in this report was sponsored by the United States Air Force and conducted by RAND Project AIR FORCE.

This report is part of the RAND Corporation Technical report series. RAND technical reports may include research findings on a specific topic that is limited in scope or intended for a narrow audience; present discussions of the methodology employed in research; provide literature reviews, survey instruments, modeling exercises, guidelines for practitioners and research professionals, and supporting documentation; or deliver preliminary findings. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure that they meet high standards for research quality and objectivity.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.