U.S. Air Force, Navy Restore Historic WWII-Era Airfield in the Pacific

Tinian airfield was used as a launching point for B-29 bombers targeting Imperial Japan, including the 'Enola Gay.'

Kimberly Johnson

Friday, March 07, 2025 at 11:04 AM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

Boeing B-29 ‘Enola Gay’ on Tinian in the Mariana Islands. [Credit: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. forces are undertaking a $409 million, five-year project to reclaim and restore a historic World War II airfield on Tinian in the Western Pacific from jungle growth.
The restored North Field Air Base will serve as an alternate location for flight operations, augmenting Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and enhancing the resilience of American forces in the Indo-Pacific.
This initiative aligns with the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's Agile Combat Employment (ACE) doctrine, aiming to create flexible and dispersed operating locations for projecting power and improving survivability in the region.

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U.S. Air Force engineers, U.S. Navy Seabees, and U.S. Marine engineer teams have reclaimed a historic World War II airfield from jungle growth in the Western Pacific for use for operations for American forces throughout the Indo-Pacific.

The airfield at North Field Air Base on the isle of Tinian is being improved as an alternate location for flight operations at nearby Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, should the primary airfield become unsustainable in a time of war, according to Pacific Air Forces (PACAF).