"I guarantee you the soldiers out there have plenty of waters and plenty of MREs (meals ready-to-eat)," Major Gene Warren told journalists.

He dismissed reports that troops were having to get by on one ration pack a day, and insisted that units providing logistical support were not working at full capacity.

Although he gave no firm figures for what the US military is consuming in its Iraq campaign, he did say that around eight million litres (two million gallons) of fuel were being used per day and that his Fifth Corps had the capacity to provide another 40 million litres per day.

Roads and pipelines were also being laid to speed the transport of vital supplies to the frontline, he said, declining to give further details.

Iraq's largely arid terrain and the onset of very hot weather meant providing water was "crucial," Warren said.

Despite challenges in locating sources of water in Iraq itself, the soldiers in the country were getting their minimum nine litres per day, much of it in bottles, as well as adequate supplies of MREs, he said.

Each packet contains 3,000 calories, enough to sustain a man for a day if required, but the troops received three per day if they wanted, Warren added.

"They taste great. Actually they taste better than some restaurants I've been in."

Warren also said there had been no problems with fuel supplies, helped by the fact that all the US military machines -- tanks, helicopters and warplanes included -- used the same basic J8 fuel to which additives were mixed if necessary.

Iraq, he noted, is "a country that is all about fuel," which raised certain possibilities.

"Later on we may be able to tap into their resources," Warren said, before quickly adding: "But we don't depend on that."

SPACE.WIRE