Saturday, January 17, 2026

Airfields of Dreams: Build Them and China Won't Come?

The United States is working on reviving old World War II bases in the Pacific in case China decides to wage a war at sea. It's about time! Hopefully not too late.

Huzzah:

Across sleepy and remote islands in the Pacific, U.S. military engineers are working around the clock to revive strategically important airstrips that American troops first built under fire over 70 years ago during World War II.

The reconstruction effort is being led by a designated office within the U.S. Air Force, whose Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, doctrine has identified dozens of airfields that will be used to house and launch fighter jets, aerial refuelling tankers and weapons during a war with China. A trilateral force of the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force is now converging with a single goal in mind: re-establish a presence on the airfields once used to deliver decisive combat power for the United States during the last great power war.

I have been worried about our lack of bases in case of war for a long time

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here

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NOTE: Photo of North Field on Tinian Island from the article.