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News | March 6, 2019

Boosting the future video debuts

By Irene Smith DLA Energy Public Affairs

From satellites to fighter jets, from aerostats to Mars rockets, Defense Logistics Agency Energy provides the fuel for extreme operating environments, whether in space or in the air.

A new video highlights the mission of DLA Energy Aerospace and features two compelling testimonies from customers at the Department of Homeland Security and Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.

For DHS, DLA Energy supplied helium is used to deploy the Tethered Aerostat Radar System, an integral part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection surveillance system.

“We cannot do this mission without DLA,” said DHS’s Robert Brown. “We throw a lot of surprises at DLA, but they have never let us down. They are constantly there with product, where and when we ask them to be.”

At Dover AFB, large logistics aircraft such as C-5s, C-17s and other military aircraft rely on aviator breathable oxygen, or liquid oxygen, supplied by DLA Energy. Pilots need liquid oxygen when operating at higher altitudes in non-pressurized aircraft to avoid hypoxia, a physiological condition where the brain gets sluggish due to the decreased oxygen supply.

“DLA supports almost everything that we do in fuels,” said Air Force 1st Lt. Alexander Clawson. “DLA provides the fuel, the fuel tanks and the re-fueling equipment for us to do our mission.”

Another important element used by the Air Force is liquid nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen is used as fire suppressant and plays an important role in the safe operation of aircraft.

“Liquid nitrogen on aircraft is used as a fire suppressant because there is no oxygen in it so if something does catch fire in a high-altitude situation, the liquid nitrogen can be released to put the fire out,” Clawson said.

Aerospace Energy’s mission is missile fuels, rocket fuels, and spacecraft fuels, as well as propellants and aviator breathing oxygen and liquid nitrogen. Averaging about 15 launches a year, DLA Aerospace Energy powers the rockets carrying satellites and spacecraft to improve communication, weather forecasting and knowledge of the solar system.

“Our core philosophy is to continuously find ways to improve our support and listen to our customers,” said DLA Energy Aerospace Energy Supplier Director Doug Smith. “Give us an impossible mission and we will find a way to get it done.”