Do they make hybrid tanks yet?’

As reported by the LA Times, while American troops in Iraq fight over terrain that covers enormous deposits of oil, fuel prices are ratcheting up the costs of waging war.

It’s no secret that modern war machines require enormous volumes of fuel, with patrols of both ground and air vehicles meaning that no military remains stationary for long. And if the idea of cutting back your own fuel use seems intimidating, just imagine the difficulties involved in regulating the fuel use of thousands of vehicles, each with fuel economies that would make the most profligate Humvee driver blush.

The M1 Abrams Battle Tank, one of the tank models currently deployed in Iraq, consumes about 300 gallons of fuel an hour. And an F/A-18 Hornet, can carry about 3,000 kg of fuel, which, made from garbage or not, means this is one thirsty bird.

With the monthly costs of the US’s current wars at about $12.1 billion a month, and fuel costs more than three times 2003 levels, this is one fuel crisis with enough bite to make a conservationist of even the most strident hawks. After all, it’s awfully hard to carpool in a cockpit.