With headlines
about unrest in the Middle East and oil prices
jumping to the highest level since 2008, energy has again risen to the
forefront of the public agenda. But for those of us in the national security
arena, energy should never fall from our radar. Energy is critical to military
operations - for the United
States and our NATO
partners - and presents an important opportunity for success in the Afghanistan
Mission. Beyond the geopolitical externalities that dominate today's public
discourse on energy security, access to energy carries profound implications
both for NATO forces and local Afghans.
With a collaborative, strategic approach to energy, NATO forces will
have the means to overcome enemy insurgents and promote human development in Afghanistan.
At the macro
level, NATO forces require large volumes of fuel to operate in Afghanistan.
Energy is consumed in generators powering forward operating bases (providing
electricity for communications as well as heating, cooling, and lighting of
shelters), as well as tactical vehicles transporting troops across
Afghanistan's treacherous terrain, aircraft and helicopters delivering materiel
into and around theater, and Remotely Piloted Vehicles gathering intelligence
from overhead. Thus, energy is fundamental to mission success in Afghanistan. But providing all this energy for NATO forces
translates into an operational challenge. Not only is fuel brought into Afghanistan by
ground, rail, and air transport at a high cost, but it is also trucked to
troops based in remote locations throughout the country. Resupply convoys have
a high opportunity cost as they place resources at risk that could otherwise
contribute to the mission more directly. They consume fuel as they wind through
mountain passes, require force protection, and are vulnerable to disruption
from weather events or insurgent attack. In turn, reducing energy demand at
base camps lowers the frequency for fuel resupply, which allows commanders to redirect
forces from escorting fuel trucks to engaging in other activities. A range of
low-cost, low-risk solutions to pare down energy demand on bases exist today
that could be implemented at scale with a collaborative NATO approach. For
example, right-sizing generators to loads and controlling temperatures in
shelters can reduce energy demand significantly.
At the tactical
edge - in isolated corners of Afghanistan
- advanced equipment aiding NATO forces comes with the need for battery power
at the individual level. For example, it
is estimated that United States Army Soldiers each carry 20-40 pounds of
batteries for a typical 72-hour mission. Heavy loads can limit the mobility of
Service members on foot patrol, presenting difficulties evading enemy attack as
well as long-term health implications (like musculoskeletal injuries). To be
successful against insurgents, NATO forces need to be stealthy and agile, but
the persistent need to return to vehicles or tactical operation centers to
replace batteries or recharge with noisy generators can open troops to enemy
detection. In response, NATO partners are making great advancements in
developing and field-testing innovative energy solutions. The United Kingdom
Ministry of Defense recently announced plans to deploy an innovative battery
technology for radio systems that will lighten the load for troops on the front
line by nearly 12 kg. Alternative energy sources - like the solar-powered
communication systems employed by the U.S. Marine Corps India Company 3/5 in Helmand
Province - also
increase capability of forces operating in austere environments by reducing the
need for fuel resupply and improving operational flexibility. Conceivably, some
of the technologies deployed with troops today could be left behind to aid local
Afghans in the future (such as solar-powered water purification systems).
Ranging in application from large-scale operating bases to individual Service
members, the proven energy solutions currently available to NATO forces should
be fielded at scale through a collaborative effort to improve mission
effectiveness in theater.
Beyond powering
NATO forces directly, energy also is a useful tool for building local capacity
and promoting economic development in Afghanistan. According to the OECD,
only 15.6 percent of the Afghan population has access to electricity. Without
electricity, communities lack basic services, such as lighting and
refrigeration, which affect the health and livelihoods of citizens. In Afghanistan,
the widespread practice of burning biomass (such as animal dung or straw) for
heating and cooking degrades air quality and causes harmful respiratory
diseases, particularly in children. These energy poverty issues are
interrelated with access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and food. Cross-sector
energy solutions can have multiplier effects touching health, education, and
economic development. For example, biogas digesters convert human and animal
waste - which could otherwise contaminate drinking water sources - into methane
gas (for cooking and heating) as well as fertilizer for crops, thus addressing
energy, sanitation, and health issues simultaneously. ISAF recently marked the
completion of a biogas plant in Kabul,
and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the capacity to facilitate the
construction of more biogas digesters across the country. As part of its
counter-insurgency strategy, NATO forces have the opportunity to use energy as
the central means for an integrated approach with development agencies to
provide these basic services and improve the lives of local Afghans.
As NATO forces
posture for a drawdown in the coming years, all partners would benefit from a
joint, strategic approach to energy. Emphasis should be placed on fielding
simple and enduring energy solutions that bring improved capability to troops
today and can be left behind for local Afghans in the future. The foundation of
this process requires allies to exchange energy-related data, lessons learned,
and best practices from existing pilot programs in theater. Such a foundation
will enable NATO forces to identify and subsequently deploy at scale the most
promising energy solutions. A NATO-wide energy initiative of this kind in Afghanistan can
fundamentally enhance mission effectiveness at multiple levels, from overcoming
enemy insurgents to improving human development for local communities. As
budgets tighten and allies strive to achieve a durable peace, energy is an
essential tool for NATO success in Afghanistan.
Rachel Posner is a policy and programs analyst in the
office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and
Programs. Previously, she served as a fellow in the Energy and National
Security Program and as the assistant director of the Global Water Futures
Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The views presented are those of the author and do
not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.
This article was submitted for the atlantic-community.org's
competition: "Empowering Women in International Relations." It coincides
with the 10th Anniversary of UN resolution 1325 calling for an
increased influence of women in all aspects of peace and security. The
contest is sponsored by the U.S. Mission to NATO and the NATO Public
Diplomacy Division.
You can read more submissions from the competition here.
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May 12, 2011
Erik Leklem, MoD Advisor, NTM-A/CSTC-A CJ5
Would be good if we could build Afghan support and leadership for these energy approaches now, before that timeframe, so that these novel solutions have a chance to remain in place and be useful after NATO and U.S. presence draws down.
Hopefully OEPP is leveraging your recommendations for testing here in the field with Afghans? It would be very good to see if this is an approach that they might want to pursue with NATO.