Aviation
Military /
USA
Strategic positioning
USAF Alaska base could be reactivated
F-22
U. S. Air Force Photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Gabriela Ramos
5/10/2021
A United States Air Force base, located in Alaska, just 320 km from Russia, could be reactivated soon, as several F-22 fighters deployed in Alaska have received dispersion training for a local airstrip.
The idea is that, instead of storing several fighters on a few bases, which would leave them vulnerable, several small landing strips are built or reused, so that the fighters can be dispersed, spread over various locations. This makes it possible for fighters to be closer to conflicts and makes it difficult for a possible opponent to counterattack.
F-22
Staff Sgt. Perry Aston, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
An important exercise is being carried out in this regard, the Agile Combat Employment, in which several F-22 fighters flew to King Salmon Airport, Alaska, marking the beginning of these new runways in the region.
Therefore, there is a possibility that the Eareckson base, located on the island of Shemya, just 320 km from Russia, will be reactivated, which would be an interesting strategy for the USA, as the fighters operated on that base would be able to intercept Russian fighters in the Bering Sea. However, the climatic conditions in this region are a hindrance, as there are many rains, mists and storms.
The Eareckson base has not received fighters since the early 1990s, while the King Salmon runway is the only one in the region built during the Cold War that is still capable of receiving fighters on a regular basis.
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Gabriela Ramos
Gabriela is the latest addition to the editorial team of our website, having provided us with her solid background in editing, publishing and photography, and her interest and training in aviation history and historiography. His good taste and common sense and great cleverness and sagacity in the selection of themes and materials greatly enriched our vocabulary and narrative style. Gabriela brought unusual predicates and came to stay, helping to point the way of success of our portal.
   
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