Jane's Defence Weekly. Guam: tip of the spear. [Content preview Subscribe to IHS Jane s Defence Weekly for full article]

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1 Jane's Defence Weekly Guam: tip of the spear [Content preview Subscribe to IHS Jane s Defence Weekly for full article] As the United States' westernmost territory, Guam is playing an increasingly important role. Gordon Arthur reports on progress there with improvements to accommodate part of the US strategic shift to the Pacific Just as it was strategically vital in the Second World War, so is Guam today a pivotal US base in President Barack Obama's strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region in light of North Korea's belligerence and China's rising might. Page 1 of 6

2 US Department of Defense facilities and zones on Guam. (IHS) The US Navy (USN) and US Air Force (USAF) are resident at Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base (AFB) respectively. These installations fall under Joint Region Marianas: a Department of Defense (DoD) construct established in 2009 to oversee all Guam bases. Facilities are being improved and expanded as the rebalance takes effect. The US Marine Corps (USMC) is set to join the USN and USAF as facility construction occurs through to the late 2020s. Page 2 of 6

3 Andersen AFB Jane s An important characteristic of the 77 km 2 Andersen AFB is that it hosts rotational, rather than permanent, assets. It supports a continuous bomber presence, typically comprising six Boeing B-52s from the continental US (CONUS), on a six-month rotation. Several RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), based there since 2010, proved their worth in Japan's 2011 earthquake and the 2013 typhoon in the Philippines. Four KC-135 air-to-air refuellers rotate through Guam on a monthly basis, giving the USAF a strategic ability to project power. A USAF B-52H Stratofortress bomber takes off on a routine mission from one of Andersen Air Force Base's two 11,000-ft runways. (Gordon Arthur) It is interesting to note that, after China established an Air Defence Identification Zone in November 2013, it was B-52s from Guam that flew through it to make a point. Guam's strategic location was demonstrated during Exercise 'Cope North Guam' on February. Nearly 90 US, Japanese, and Australian aircraft gathered to demonstrate how assets could quickly surge. Colonel Steve Wolborsky (rtd), director of plans, programmes, and readiness for the USAF's 36th Wing, described the importance of the island: "Guam is at the extremity of US territory. It's something Pacific Air Forces calls the strategic triangle with Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam - Guam being the tip of the spear. It's generally advantageous to the US to have forces this far forward with this kind of robust capability." Page 3 of 6

4 On the rebalance, Wolborsky said: "We've been in a steady growth mode for 10 years. I think there's a lot of interest in making sure we have a long-term resiliency and sustainability to operate here as a strategic base." He noted real growth in exercises and training, driven in part by Guam's greater utilisation in Aviation Training Relocation (ATR), under which Japan pays three quarters of the cost of moving US fighter units from Japanese bases to train elsewhere. Andersen AFB is technically a USN installation, as the navy is responsible for base support and facilities. Much of the infrastructure is ageing and its newest housing is more than 50 years old. However, accommodation is being recapitalised and infrastructure such as water, underground wiring, and sewerage is being modernised. Major operational facilities are also being constructed. New projects authorised for fiscal year 2014 (FY 2014) include two large aircraft hangars (one general purpose and the other for maintaining fuel systems) and a hangar for the USN's new MQ-4C Tritons. Set to arrive from late 2017, the Tritons will monitor the region's oceanic domain. [Continued in full version ] Naval Base Guam In April 2013 the USN announced that a fourth Los Angeles-class submarine would transfer to Naval Base Guam. USS Topeka will join USS Chicago, Key West, and Oklahoma City in about a year's time. The base's biggest asset is the submarine tender USS Frank Cable and there are no known plans to shift other warships to the island. As part of the submarine deployment, several projects were authorised in FY 2014: an enhanced ship repair facility, a storage building, and an upgrade to Sierra Wharf. Captain Mike Ward, Naval Base Guam's commanding officer, said his base has mainly tenant commands - 32 in total, of which 23 are navy - in contrast to rotational units that use Andersen AFB. He manages 5,900 military personnel/dod civilians and 5,000 family members. [Continued in full version ] USMC relocation A crucial aspect of Guam's growing military significance will be the eventual relocation of USMC personnel from Okinawa. Under a revised 2012 plan, around 5,000 marines (of which two thirds will be on six-monthly rotations) and 1,300 family members are scheduled to relocate there. Page 4 of 6

5 The USN Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five is forward stationed on Guam. An irobot PackBot 510 is pictured in the foreground. (Gordon Arthur) This will entail major construction of 525 houses, barracks, base infrastructure, and training areas. Major Darren Alvarez, deputy director of the Joint Guam Program Office (JGPO) responsible for USMC relocation planning on the island, said the preferred preliminary site for the marines' cantonment is the 5.9 km 2 Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station (NCTS) Finegayan near Andersen. Nevertheless, the JGPO lists four alternative cantonment sites to help decision-makers, as well as five proposed live-fire complex sites, for which Northwest Field (adjacent to Andersen) is the preferred option. It was originally envisaged that 8,900 marines and 9,000 dependents would relocate to Guam and a previous 2010 record of decision covering construction of various facilities was made on that basis. That approval permitted ongoing projects such as improvement at the ACE North Ramp and Apra Harbour wharf, training/manoeuvre facilities at Andersen South, and upgraded public roads leading from Naval Base Guam to Andersen AFB. [Continued in full version ] Island defence Page 5 of 6

6 Responding to North Korean provocations, the US Army deployed a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile battery to Guam in April The THAAD battery is sited on Northwest Field, where it will have an ongoing presence. Lieutenant Colonel Clyde Cochrane, the battery's commander, told IHS Jane's : "We're here to act as a strategic deterrent against North Korea and, should that deterrence fail, then we shall neutralise any theatre ballistic missile threat from North Korea." At the same time, THAAD could just as easily be used to defend against Chinese missile threats. As the US DoD implements its strategic shift to the Pacific region, Guam thus serves as an unsinkable logistics base for forward-deployed aircraft and ships in the Western Pacific, enabling US strategic power projection. With Washington regularly airing concerns about the lack of transparency in China's military build-up, Guam is becoming more indispensable than ever. Gordon Arthur is a JDW Correspondent, reporting from Guam. Copyright IHS Global Limited, 2014 For the full version and more content: IHS Jane's Defence Industry and Markets Intelligence Centre This analysis is taken from IHS Jane s Defence Industry & Markets Intelligence Centre, which provides world-leading analysis of commercial, industrial and technological defence developments, budget and programme forecasts, and insight into new and emerging defence markets around the world. IHS defence industry and markets news and analysis is also available within IHS Jane s Defence Weekly. To learn more and to subscribe to IHS Jane s Defence Weekly online, offline or print visit For advertising solutions contact the IHS Jane s Advertising team Page 6 of 6