Military energy plays a vital role in the development of military capabilities, with the continuous enhancement of the performance of weapons and equipment, the continuous improvement of unmanned and intelligent levels, and the increasing demand for military facilities for energy efficiency, diversification, greening, anti-strike, rapid recovery, etc., the development of new energy systems has become a key factor in improving military capabilities. Recently, major military powers have promoted the research and development, deployment and promotion of new military energy technologies, focusing on the development of longer-lasting, more efficient and more concealed energy systems for unmanned weapons and equipment, the deployment of new energy systems in remote areas to enhance the military's energy support capabilities, and the use of new energy systems to enhance the ability of military facilities to resist attacks and quickly recover.
First, the fossil energy system has some shortcomings in modern warfare, which affects military capabilities and operational effectiveness
The vehicles, ships, airplanes and other types of transportation and combat equipment in service of major military powers basically use fossil energy such as oil as energy sources, and these countries have made adequate preparations in the production, transportation, and storage of military energy, as well as in the adjustment and distribution of energy resources in emergency situations, so as to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of military operations in possible wars, but with the development of new technologies and changes in the form of warfare, the dependence and vulnerability of fossil energy systems have become more and more prominent.
On the one hand, fuel transportation is an important link in the army's logistics system, especially in theaters, fuel transportation requires a lot of manpower, material resources, and time, and can easily become a bottleneck in military operations. For example, in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Russian battalion-level battle group can only carry 5 days of fuel, and it has to be refueled every 3 days, and the logistics support pressure is huge.
In recent years, in conflicts and wars, unmanned weapons and equipment such as drones and unmanned boats have frequently attacked oil production facilities, transportation pipelines or fuel storage facilities, and the disruption of the energy supply chain will weaken the military's transportation capacity and combat effectiveness. In the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the logistics channel of the Russian army's synthetic armored forces was attacked and harassed by the Ukrainian tactical group, which affected the pace of the Russian army's advance.
In terms of technology, the energy conversion rate of fossil energy systems is low, and the development of technology has encountered bottlenecks, which is difficult to meet the performance needs of weapons and equipment in future wars, while new energy technologies such as fuel cells, lithium batteries, smart microgrids, military solar energy, and micro modular reactors have given weapons and equipment new military capabilities, such as unmanned underwater vehicles using hydrogen fuel cell systems can work at deeper water, and modular solar energy systems can provide energy to remote areas where fossil energy supply is difficult. The U.S. Department of Defense's Technology Vision for the Age of Competition, released in February 2022, emphasized the need for the U.S. to develop new energy technologies to ensure the U.S. military's technological advantage in future conflicts, and to include technologies such as solar, wind, bio-based and geothermal technologies, advanced energy storage, electronic engines, and grid integration on the U.S. Department of Defense priorities.
Second, the improvement of military capabilities brought about by the new energy system
(1) Improving the performance of weapons and equipment
The new energy system gives weapons and equipment new military capabilities, which are reflected in extending endurance, improving mobility, and reducing thermal signature. For military drones, armored vehicles, and other electric equipment, the use of efficient energy systems can significantly extend the range of weapons and equipment, increase the range or operating hours, and reduce frequent replenishment or charging. In terms of UAVs, more and more countries have launched UAVs that use hydrogen fuel cell systems to improve UAV payload and flight time, such as long-range and heavy-duty UAVs developed by Zepher for the US Army, and H2D 55 UAVs developed by Heven Drones in Israel.
(图片来源:Heven Drones)
In terms of vehicles, the U.S. Army Combat Capability Development Command's Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory are developing hydrogen tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, which use hydrogen fuel cell technology to drive systems that do not produce smoke and odor, and have the characteristics of low noise and low heat, which can improve the concealment of combat vehicles, and the high torque provided by hydrogen fuel cells enhances the vehicle's ability to pass on complex roads.
In terms of underwater equipment, the endurance of unmanned underwater vehicles driven by traditional lithium batteries is relatively limited, and the operating efficiency is affected in deep-water and low-temperature environments. Recently, the U.S. Navy commissioned Saab to develop a hydrogen fuel cell unmanned underwater vehicle capable of performing long missions (12 hours of endurance and about 20 kilometers) at an underwater depth of 1,200 meters, and Canada's Cellula recently launched the Solus-XR, an ultra-large hydrogen fuel cell unmanned underwater vehicle with a payload capacity of 2,500 liters and an adaptive mission engine, and began sea trials. In addition, the widespread use of hydrogen energy has also increased the need for hydrogen replenishment "anytime, anywhere", such as the U.S. Naval Research Office, which is developing a system capable of producing hydrogen in containers to provide in-situ refueling for various hydrogen equipment in the U.S. Marine Corps.
(Image source: Saab)
(2) Improve the military's energy support capability in complex environments
For a long time, remote areas, island areas, plateau areas, Arctic regions and other complex environments have posed huge challenges to military energy security, and they are also the focus of attention of the armed forces of various countries. Different climatic environments, geographical environments, and resource endowments put forward adaptability requirements for weapons and equipment and military facilities. In the Arctic, for example, nuclear power is a preferred option where extreme low temperatures make some renewable energy generation systems inefficient or unable to generate electricity, and resources are difficult to utilize. The Russian St. Petersburg "Malachite" Marine Machinery Design Bureau is developing an underwater nuclear power plant that will provide energy for military bases in the Arctic.
(图 来源:Strana Rosatom)
In terms of nuclear energy technology, the United States is focusing more on the rapid construction of energy supply systems in targeted areas. For example, the U.S. Department of Defense has developed miniature nuclear reactors that can be transported by freight trains, container trucks, strategic transport aircraft, etc., through the "Pele" project, and such systems can be deployed within three days and evacuated within seven days; BWXT and Crowley have developed shallow-draft hull ships equipped with modular nuclear reactors to provide energy for islands, military bases, or post-disaster areas. In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense's "Stable Tactical Expeditionary Power Program" and the U.S. Air Force's "Complete Expeditionary Microgrid System" concept have developed micro-grid systems for complex environments to ensure the combat capability of the U.S. military.
(Image source: U.S. Government Accountability Office)
（图片来源：Crowley）
(3) Improving the ability of military installations to resist attacks and quickly recover
Improving the resistance to strikes and rapid recovery of the energy system of military bases and other military facilities is an important task to ensure the level of combat readiness and combat capability. Taking the United States as an example, the US "Joint Forces Quarterly" pointed out that the US Department of Defense is the largest energy consumer in the US Government, and it manages more than 500 bases, docks, terminals, and barracks, and these military facilities all rely on the surrounding power distribution systems and commercial power grids, and the dependence on regional power grids will cause national security problems, such as an attack on the power grid around military facilities is as destructive as a direct attack on military facilities, and will disrupt the normal operation of military facilities. The United States is taking a series of measures to address security risks, including conducting energy resilience combat readiness Xi exercises, increasing the capacity of backup energy systems for military installations, and using new technologies to reduce dependence on the power grid.
In terms of technology, technologies such as nuclear energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, and micro-grids are considered to be important technologies to enhance the energy independence of military facilities. For example, the United States Air Force has developed a new solar system that can be quickly deployed in the event of a grid disruption to provide a base energy source, the United States Air Force and the Defense Logistics Agency's Energy Division have worked with Oklo to promote the deployment of the United States Air Force's first miniature nuclear reactor at Eielson Air Force Base, and the United States Department of Defense has launched a geothermal power generation project based on the resources available at Mount Holm Air Force Base and Joint Base San Antonio. In addition, increasing backup energy system capacity can provide longer energy supply to military facilities after a grid outage, and new energy systems are designed to better integrate with fluctuating renewable energy generation systems to fully absorb the energy produced by the power generation system. For example, the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Innovation Unit has deployed flow battery long-term energy storage systems at several military bases.
(Image source: CellCube)
(4) Improving the ability to respond to climate change
At present, global climate change is accelerating, and extreme weather has a serious impact on military operations. In the Department of Defense Climate Adaptation Plan, the U.S. Department of Defense notes that the countries that are most resilient and able to respond to the impacts of climate change will gain an advantage. The plan requires the U.S. Department of Defense and its agencies, services and defense contractors to take steps to address potential vulnerabilities caused by climate change and ensure that future U.S. military operations, military installations, and weaponry are "adaptable" and "resilient" to the impacts of climate change. The French Ministry of Defense released its first "Climate and Defense Strategy", which aims to address the security threats posed by climate change and environmental problems through energy conservation and emission reduction solutions, including: promoting the research and development of gasoline-electric hybrids, upgrading the French Army's current armored vehicles to hybrid versions, and promoting the production and application of hydrogen energy in the field of weapons and equipment. Canada's Department of Defence and Armed Forces have also recently released the Science and Technology Strategy for Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability, which proposes to use new technologies to improve military installations and weaponry in service to address the potential impacts of climate change. This puts forward higher requirements for the intelligent level of the new energy system, including extreme climate monitoring, analysis and early warning capabilities, energy system regulation and distribution capabilities, and rapid recovery capabilities after damage.
（图片来源：DefenseNews）
III. Conclusion
With the rapid development of new technologies and the continuous evolution of the global security environment, the forms and forms of future warfare are undergoing rapid and profound changes, which pose more critical challenges and demands to the energy system.
First, new types of weapons and equipment clusters will emerge in future wars. High-end weapons and equipment such as directed energy weapons, space autonomous robots, high-altitude and long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles, and ultra-long-range precision-guided artillery shells are being put into use, and the performance and power of new-generation weapons and equipment such as aircraft carriers, submarines, and strategic bombers are far greater than before. These weapons and equipment put forward higher requirements for the energy system, and a stronger, more efficient, and more stable energy system will directly affect combat effectiveness and results.
Second, with the deepening of the application of artificial intelligence, machine Xi, big data, and other technologies in the military field, future wars will show a trend of informatization and intelligence. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine Xi, and autonomous unmanned systems have huge demands for large-scale computing and real-time data processing. A stable and efficient energy system will ensure the continuous and efficient operation of battlefield information systems and intelligent weapons and equipment in battle, as well as rapid decision-making and response, and improve overall combat capability.
Third, the space of future battlefields will expand from the traditional land, sea, and air domains to the air, space, polar, deep-sea, and electromagnetic fields, which will prompt major military powers to step up military investment and technological research and development in these fields. New weapons and equipment require the development of new energy technologies, such as miniature nuclear reactor technology, high-efficiency energy storage technology, space solar energy technology, etc. The development of these new energy technologies will become the key to determining the performance and operability of weapons and equipment, and will directly affect the combat capability of the military in various fields.
About the Author
Zhang Yuqi, Research Office No. 5, Institute of International Technology and Economics, Development Research Center of the State Council
Research interests: research tracking of cutting-edge technologies in the field of energy, industry and policy research
Contact: [email protected]
Editor丨Zheng Shi
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