- Diplomacy may still play a role but a potential conflict between the U.S. and China is looming. The U.S. is restoring North Field on Tinian Island, a historically significant airfield, to strengthen its military presence in the Pacific.
- Satellite images show the U.S. Navy and Air Force have fully reclaimed all four runways and taxiways, reinforcing North Field as a critical power projection platform.
- The U.S. is preparing for a potential conflict by upgrading multiple airfields across the Indo-Pacific, enhancing its ability to operate in austere environments and counter threats from China.
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Diplomacy may still have its day but a potential fight between the U.S. and China is still looming large on the horizon. Airfields in the Pacific are also at a premium, so it’s a good thing the U.S. already has some—even if they need a little work to refurbish.
North Field: A historic airfield
One such airfield is North Field on Tinian Island. The island was part of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
During World War II, North Field was the largest airfield in the world. The site was so important engineers started building the airfields while U.S. Marines were still fighting the Japanese for control of the island.
With more than 20 million square feet of runways and taxiways, North Field was built as a launching pad for American B-29 bombers. Those planes included the Bockscar and Enola Gay, the two planes that dropped the atomic bombs on Japan.
But after the war ended, North Field was largely abandoned, allowing the jungle and time to take their toll. That is, until a few years ago, when work began to restore North Field to its former glory.
Satellite images reveal restoration progress
Planet Labs took satellite photos of the site and shared those images with Straight Arrow News. The first photo was taken on Dec. 3, 2023, and the last was taken on Jan. 29, 2025.
The images captured from space shows just how much work the U.S. Navy and Air Force have put into restoring North Field. Now, all four runways and their taxiways are completely reclaimed.
Training for austere environments
Parts of North Field were already in use as training grounds. The area was used for teaching U.S. service members what it’s like to operate in austere environments, where access to electricity, easy resupply, top-of-the-line facilities and maintenance hangars aren’t an option.
The potential of a fight in the Pacific with a near-peer adversary like China means the U.S. needs to get comfortable operating from austere environments.
Whether it’s the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment or the Marine Corps’ Force Design, the U.S. service branches are taking a hub-and-spoke approach to warfare in the Pacific. Forces are spread out, making them harder to target and take out.
North Field as a power projection platform
This is why the Air Force calls North Field such an important power projection platform. It offers plenty of targeting challenges for enemy forces like the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF). Even if some portions of the runways are hit, the U.S. can still fly a variety of aircraft from North Field, including the Osprey, runway-independent drones and F-35Bs, which are designed for short takeoff and vertical landing.
The U.S. is also working on upgrades to the main commercial airport on Tinian Island, as well as upgrades at several other remote locations in the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) area of responsibility. As previously reported, all of this is part of the broader preparation for a potential fight with China.