The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has started to demonstrate a $6.8 million waste-to-energy conversion system that will seek to turn materials such as wood, plastics and biomass into alternative fuel for use at military bases.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base said March 21 AFRL will run the demonstration through the summer at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii and be sponsored by the Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies.

AFRL will work to convert approximately 10 tons of waste into 300 kilowatts of continuous electric power per day as part of efforts to explore alternative energy options that could support military operations in case of power interruptions.

“If a technology can provide mission assurance through energy assurance, it can then be considered for more widespread implementation,”  said Lt. Col. Scott Fitzner, AFRL’s acquisition systems support branch chief.

Biomass Energy Systems provides the project’s gasification process that works to turn wastes into synthesis gas that can be converted into electricity.

AFRL plans to use the technology developed from the demonstration in longer-term efforts to produce fuel for vehicles and field equipment.

A U.S. Air Force official has said the service branch has started to subject its F-35 fighter jets to combat mission tests against Russian- and Chinese-made aerial defense platforms through the use of “open air” ranges as well as computer modeling and simulation environments.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, director of the F-35 integration office, told Scout Warrior reporter Kris Osborn in an interview published Thursday the tests also aim to prepare the fighter planes for emerging threats.

“They have got these digital [surface-to-air missile systems] out there that can change frequencies and they are very agile in how they operate, being able to replicate that is not easy,” Harrigian said of Chinese- and Russian-built air defenses.

“One of the key reasons we bought this airplane is because the threats continue to evolve – we have to be survivable in this threat environment that has continued to develop capabilities where they can deny us access to specific objectives that we may want to achieve,” he added.

Harrigian noted that the Lockheed Martin-built fighter jet is based on “open architecture” designed to facilitate the integration of new avionics, software and weapons platforms.

According to Scout Warrior, the service branch plans to procure a total of 1,763 Joint Strike Fighter F-35As for integration with its fleet of approximately 2,000 fighter planes.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has said the U.S. and its allies need to tackle both near-term and long-term challenges in support of efforts to provide security around the world, DoD News reported Wednesday.

Carter told his audience at the World Affairs Council’s Annual Honors Global Education Gala that the U.S. carries a responsibility to address the five evolving challenges regarding Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and the Islamic State group, Terri Moon Cronk writes.

“In this interconnected world, we can’t afford to ignore… the challenges of our friends and allies together,” said Carter.

The report added that DoD continues to invest in science and technology research and development programs that work to assist the 450,00 Americans deployed across the globe in an effort to accomplish its national security goals.