Why Is the U.S. Military Rebuilding World War II Airfields?

In a move reflecting major strategic shifts, the United States has begun restoring abandoned World War II military airfields, most notably North Field Airbase on the island of Tinian. This is no mere construction project — it is part of the Pentagon’s preparations for a potential conflict with China.

A recent analysis published by Asbab Geopolitical Studies explores the deeper motives behind these developments, shedding light on how the U.S. is adapting its military posture across the Pacific to respond to Beijing’s rising military threat — and why flexible deployment has become a top priority.

Tinian: From Nuclear Past to Strategic Future

Tinian Island, once the launch site for the bombers that dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, has lain dormant for decades. Over time, its runways were reclaimed by dense forest.

But new satellite imagery reveals intense clearing and reconstruction operations, as the U.S. military removes vegetation to restore the island’s long-forgotten infrastructure. Why? Because China’s long-range strike capabilities — including missiles that can target U.S. bases deep in the Pacific — have made the revival of secondary bases essential.

“Hub-and-Spoke” Strategy: Fighting Across a Wider Map

The Pentagon’s response is a “hub-and-spoke” strategy. Rather than concentrating all forces at major bases, the U.S. will spread out its assets across a web of smaller, more agile locations. If a major base is threatened, aircraft and personnel can disperse to secondary sites, making it harder for adversaries like China to cripple U.S. operations in a first strike.

Pacific Chessboard: Competing Maritime Ambitions

The urgency stems from China’s military expansion. Yulin Naval Base, located at the southern tip of Hainan Island, is now the primary base of China’s navy — part of a $50 billion project involving 200 military sites aimed at securing dominance in the Pacific.

While the U.S. Navy remains the world’s most powerful, China’s naval surge has alarmed the Pentagon:

• • Beijing aims to control the First Island Chain by 2030,

• • And Second Island Chain by 2050,

• • It is rapidly producing frigates, submarines, aircraft carriers, and long-range missiles,

• • Recent Chinese air force footage showed a simulated nuclear strike on Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.

Given Guam’s proximity to Taiwan (~5,000 km) and its strategic role, it has become a prime target — especially with China’s growing drone fleet and missile development threatening to overwhelm U.S. air defences.

New Missile Threats: “Carrier Killers” and Hypersonic Menace

China’s missile arsenal has evolved:

• • Dongfeng-26 (“Guam Killer”) with a 4,000 km range

• • Dongfeng-17, a hypersonic missile with a gliding vehicle, can evade traditional air defences and be launched from submarines

By 2022, China increased its DF-26 inventory from 300 to 500 missiles, and now fields 250 launchers.

Simulated war games suggest that 90% of U.S. Air Force losses in a conflict with China would occur on the ground, echoing the devastating Pearl Harbor losses — where 48% of U.S. planes were destroyed. In a future war, such a figure could mean defeat before the first dogfight.

Pacific Geography: Chokepoints and Historical Echoes

The vastness of the Pacific reduces the number of maritime chokepoints — making the Mariana Islands, including Guam, Tinian, and Saipan, pivotal. During WWII, Japan controlled these islands, preventing U.S. influence in the Philippine Sea.

Once the U.S. took them back, they became launchpads for B-29 bombers, tipping the war in America’s favour. The strategic advantage of these islands has not changed, which explains the ongoing reconstruction of Tinian and Guam.

Rebuilding the War Zone

Across the region, the U.S. is rapidly upgrading its infrastructure:

• • Guam: Restoration of Northwest Field, new landing zones, and barracks

• • Peleliu: Clearing jungle and expanding airstrips

• • Philippines: $35 million allocated to expand Basa Air Base for exclusive U.S. use

• • Australia: Surge in deployments to remote bases like RAAF Tindal

• • Dozens of WWII airfields are under review for reactivation, though only those in U.S.-aligned territories are easily accessible

Sovereignty Complications: Between History and Resistance

Despite agreements like the Compact of Free Association, which grant Washington defence rights in Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands, there’s growing resistance to U.S. expansion.

In Palau, the installation of a radar system triggered legal and environmental objections. Similar pushback emerged in Micronesia, where a proposed $400 million upgrade to Yap International Airport for U.S. military use was met with opposition from local leaders.

While many Pacific states appreciate U.S. aid, they also fear becoming battlegrounds in a U.S.-China conflict. China has exploited this unease:

• • Offering scholarships, investments, and job opportunities

• • Strengthening commercial and political ties with island nations

• • Promoting itself as a “trustworthy partner” in contrast to America’s militarised approach

Conclusion: Between Empire and Balance

The U.S. is preparing for a future war by reactivating the ghosts of its past — turning forgotten WWII airfields into forward outposts in a brewing superpower showdown.

But the Pacific’s small nations are increasingly reluctant to pick sides. Many prefer to balance the U.S. and China rather than host missile systems or radar stations.

For them, peace is like a suspension bridge: it holds only when tension between opposing powers is perfectly balanced.

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