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 reclaiming a historic World War II airfield at North Field Air Base on Tinian for modern military operations in the Indo-Pacific.
The $409 million, five-year restoration project involves clearing dense jungle growth, removing WWII-era ordnance, and extensive paving to create an alternate location for flight operations.
This effort revives an airfield that was once the world's largest during WWII, reinforcing U.S. operational resilience and power projection in the Pacific under the Agile Combat Employment doctrine.

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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).