Brooklyn-based carbon utilization startup AIRCO™ has successfully wrapped a groundbreaking series of demonstrations with the US Department of Defense (DoD), showcasing its synthetic AIRMADE® Fuel — derived directly from carbon dioxide — across land, sea, and air applications.
In partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the Army Office of the Chief of Engineers, the Naval Postgraduate School’s JIFX Program, and the Air Force’s Project FIERCE, AIRCO became one of the first companies to prove that CO2-based fuel can match the performance of conventional fossil fuels in multiple operational environments.
On land, a Polaris MRZR tactical vehicle ran on AIRMADE® Fuel during a demonstration at West Point’s Branch Week.
The fuel delivered performance equal to diesel, but with noticeably less visible exhaust smoke. This test also supported a broader study into integrating synthetic fuel production with a future Army nuclear energy hub — the first of its kind in over 50 years.
At sea, two successful marine demonstrations were held. The first, at California’s Lake San Antonio, saw a SeaFox II RHIB operate for over six hours on AIRMADE® Fuel.
A follow-up test in Virginia used a 7.0m Zodiac RHIB powered by a 300hp engine to run speed and acceleration trials, with results showing performance on par with fossil fuel — again, with reduced visible emissions.
AIRCO’s synthetic fuel has now been validated across critical military use cases, reinforcing its potential as a versatile, lower-emission alternative for national security operations.
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The company is also collaborating with NASA to explore space applications of its technology, aiming to expand the reach of carbon-conversion innovation well beyond Earth.
“Our fast-progressing work with the Defense Innovation Unit shows that fuel derived from CO2 is not only feasible but is on track to become essential for providing reliable and accessible operational energy anywhere in the world to support US national security objectives,” said AIRCO Co-Founder and CEO, Gregory Constantine.
“Together with the DoD, we’re thrilled to lead the way in advancing this critical technology that can act as a force multiplier, delivering new capabilities to our armed forces at the point of need, and improving safety for American servicemembers.”
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