The United States Air Force (Department of the Air Force) has unveiled a document officially titled the "Installation Infrastructure Action Plan" (I2AP), which addresses the modernization and optimization of military aviation infrastructure both domestically and abroad.
While this document aims to enhance the resilience of the U.S. Air Force against potential enemy attacks, it notably does not include plans for the construction of new aircraft shelters, despite the recognition of their necessity by American military officials. This information was reported by the portal The War Zone.
The paradox in this situation is that in their Installation Infrastructure Action Plan, the U.S. Air Force explicitly states that in the context of modern warfare, no airbase can be considered a "safe haven." As such, measures must be taken to bolster infrastructure resilience against aerial strikes while also working on the flexibility of deploying combat aviation across various global locations.
It is also indicated that the U.S. aviation faces a wide range of aerial attack threats in modern warfare, from small kamikaze drones to hypersonic missiles.
However, despite all this, the authors of the aforementioned I2AP do not mention the necessity of constructing new shelters for aircraft in the document, instead focusing on other elements, such as alternative energy sources for airbases.
The rationale behind this decision was explained by Ravi Chaudhari, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Air Force, and the situation can be summarized as follows.
On one hand, the department deems it prudent to invest in strengthening existing infrastructure, particularly at airbases in the Pacific region, such as Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Alaska, or Tinian Air Base in the Mariana Islands. These bases are strategically important for the U.S. Air Force, especially in the event that China could strike Guam, the U.S. stronghold in the Pacific region.
However, the Department of the Air Force does not find it necessary to build additional shelters for aircraft even at the mentioned airbases, citing the experience from the Iraq War in 2003, where U.S. Air Force precision munitions easily destroyed reinforced concrete shelters for Iraqi aviation.
Regarding physical protection against drones, the U.S. Air Force proposes covering aircraft parking areas with anti-drone nets. Previously, Defense Express reported that there are concerns in the U.S. about aircraft shelters, as they are critically insufficient in the event of a war with China.