PATUXENT RIVER, Md., April 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy announced it would fly an F/A-18 Super Hornet fueled by a mixture of biofuels to mark Earth Day celebrations Thursday.
The Green Hornet F/A-18 leaves its hangar at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., to certify the use of alternative fuels, the U.S. Navy said. The test is one of 15 scheduled for the U.S. Navy.
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said the flight Thursday would put the Navy one step closer to a green-energy future.
"After it is successful, and we are absolutely confident that it will be; we will move to expand biofuel testing to our marine gas turbine engines and to the engines of our tactical vehicles," he said.
The Green Hornet will test the use of a biofuel made from the camelina plant, chosen by the U.S. military for its first tests for aviation biofuel.
The Navy announced in January plans to develop a so-called Green Strike Group of vessels powered by biofuels by 2012. The Navy said it plans by 2020 to use alternative fuel resources for half of its energy demands.
