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By Ryan Chan
China News Reporter
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The United States has reached a milestone in enhancing its combat capabilities amid China's missile threat to its Western Pacific military bases, as a World War II-era airfield on a remote island held a groundbreaking ceremony for a restoration project.
The current progress of the renovation of North Field on Tinian Island is still "considered confidential information," the U.S. Air Force's 36th Wing told Newsweek last week. The unit is based on Guam, southwest of Tinian.
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment via email.
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Why It Matters
North Field was instrumental in ending World War II, launching the two U.S. bombers that dropped atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945, forcing the country's surrender. Tinian is part of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the Western Pacific.
The airfield—abandoned since the end of World War II—renovation work began last year, aimed at making it an alternate location for flight operations at Andersen Air Force Base should the primary hub become unusable in a Pacific war.
Guam and Tinian are part of a north-south defensive line known as the Second Island Chain under America's containment strategy, which aims to project military power to deter and defend against potential Chinese aggression toward U.S. allies and partners.
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What To Know
North Field held its groundbreaking ceremony on August 18. Andersen Air Force Base said the project—one of the most extensive in Air Force history—will preserve the airfield's history and strengthen its role in today's mission readiness requirements.
According to a U.S. Pacific Air Forces press release in March, military engineers from the Air Force, the Navy and the Marine Corps have formed a trilateral team to dig up, restore and improve the airfield, marking the return of U.S. military forces on Tinian.
The work included removing overgrown vegetation from runways, taxiways and ramps, as well as World War II-era ordnance left behind. Meanwhile, military engineers have shored up walls, restored roofs and paved roads and sections of the airfield's flightline.
Vegetation and ordnance removal at North Field is progressing and surface construction could commence by year's end, Japan's Kyodo News reported last month, citing a U.S. Air Force official. Two of the four runways are scheduled to be completed by 2027.
Coincidentally, that is the year U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that China aims to be capable of invading Taiwan, as Beijing has vowed to use force to achieve reunification if necessary. North Field is approximately 1,675 miles from Taiwan.
In addition to North Field, a second alternative airfield for Andersen Air Force Base is under construction on Tinian. Located on the north side of the civilian Tinian Airport, the first phase of work on Tinian Divert Airfield is scheduled to be completed by October 16.
The first phase includes building a parking apron for military aircraft and overall airfield development, while the second phase—projected to be completed by October 11, 2026—includes extending a taxiway as part of constructing a cargo handling area.
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What People Are Saying
Andersen Air Force Base said in a Facebook post on August 28: "Since January 2024, the team in Tinian has worked to clear the original airfield that has remained untouched since WWII. This groundbreaking ceremony is a significant milestone in one of the most extensive rehabilitation projects in Air Force history."
The U.S. Pacific Air Forces said in a press release in March: "A ready, lethal air force requires forward planning and efficient use of available resources. The North Field will soon provide an increased deterrent capability for the multilateral capability of U.S. military forces in Guam and throughout the Indo-Pacific."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the U.S. military will move up North Field's rehabilitation completion date as China rapidly advances its missile capabilities.
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