Unless the reports carry an arithmetical error, the United States has sold Israel a million tons of JP-8 aviation fuel.
The choice of JP-8 makes sense for an autumn strike because the fuel’s flash point of 38 degrees Celsius makes it dangerous to carry in external tanks on long-range flights in summer.
The shelf life of JP-8 is 18 months, but guidelines suggest using it within 8 months. This limitation is especially important for long-range flights from Israel to Iran. Presumably, Israel will receive the American stocks from Iraq, which were produced earlier. The IAF would have 4-6 months to use the fuel.
This is enough fuel for all the IAF’s jets to fly to Iran 400 times each. So it’s either we’re gearing up for an all-out war, or there is a reporting error, or perhaps the Americans dumped their excess fuel on us at subsidized prices.
