Washington — The United States is taking steps to strengthen its air bases in the Indo-Pacific region in order to protect them against potential attacks, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Air Forces. This comes amid growing concerns over the vulnerabilities of these bases in countries such as Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea, particularly in the face of potential Chinese strikes.
In an interview with VOA this week, the spokesperson stated, “While we are constantly improving our theater posture, warfighting advantage, and integration with our allies and partners, Pacific Air Forces is always ready to respond to any threats to a free and open Indo-Pacific.” They also mentioned that the U.S. is investing in infrastructure and technology to enhance the resilience and survivability of its bases and facilities in the region. This includes hardening airfields and buildings, as well as implementing advanced security systems to protect personnel and assets.
The U.S. Air Force has been authorized with $916.6 million to improve logistics, maintenance capabilities, and prepositioning of equipment, munitions, fuel, and material in the Indo-Pacific through the fiscal 2024 Pacific Deterrence Initiative. This initiative, established by Congress in 2021, aims to support U.S. goals in the Indo-Pacific, with a primary focus on countering China.
These statements were made in response to a recent report by the Hudson Institute, which claimed that U.S. aircraft at allied Indo-Pacific bases could suffer significant losses in the event of a Chinese attack if these bases are not fortified. According to the report, titled “Concrete Sky: Air Based Hardening in the Western Pacific,” the U.S. is lagging behind China in terms of the number of shelters that can protect aircraft from attacks.
The report states that China has more than doubled the number of aircraft shelters since the early 2010s, with over 3,000 shelters in total. In comparison, the U.S. has only added two hardened shelters and 41 non-hardened shelters within 1,000 nautical miles of the Taiwan Strait and outside of South Korea since the 2010s.
This discrepancy means that in the event of a conflict over Taiwan, U.S. aircraft could suffer more damage than China’s, as their bases would be more vulnerable to attacks. According to Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center’s Reimagining U.S. Grand Strategy Program, attacks on U.S. bases in the Pacific region, including Japan, could prevent the U.S. Air Force from conducting fighter operations for the first 12 days of a conflict. Grieco’s own report, published by the Stimson Center, also highlights the potential for Chinese missiles to take out runways and aerial refueling tankers, rendering them unusable for extended periods of time.
One of the main reasons for this vulnerability is the lack of hardened shelters at U.S. bases. A hardened shelter is a reinforced structure made of steel, concrete, and other materials to protect military aircraft from enemy strikes. However, according to the report, it is not possible to harden runways and taxiways, which are easy targets for destruction, rendering the entire base useless.
The report also notes that among U.S. air bases in allied countries, those in the Philippines are the least protected. Timothy Walton, one of the authors of the Hudson report, stated, “In Japan, Kadena and Misawa Air Bases are the most fortified U.S. bases, while the remainder are largely unfortified.” He also mentioned that the two U.S. Air Force bases in South Korea, Osan and Kunsan, are hardened, while airfields in the Philippines are unhardened.
Experts also point to the importance of dispersing airfields as a means of protection. According to Steven Rudder, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and former commanding general of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, “When you look at the number of aircraft in the Asia Pacific, I am not sure that the ability to harden every single aircraft parking space would be as effective as a distributed force.” Bruce Bennett, a senior defense researcher at Rand Corporation, also emphasized the importance of dispersing airfields in the face of nuclear strikes.
In light of these concerns, U.S. lawmakers have also stressed the need for hardened shelters at U.S. bases in the Indo-Pacific. In a letter sent to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Navy Secretary
