Elson Air Force Base——
The U.S. Air Force's strategic pivot for the Indo-Pacific
Recently, three B-52H strategic bombers of the US Air Force were transferred from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana to Elson Air Force Base in Alaska to perform the "Bomber Task Force" mission.
Elson Air Force Base, located about 46 kilometers southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, was named after American polar pilot Carl Ben Elson. It was opened in 1943. The longest runway exceeds 4,400 meters. It currently houses the 354th The Fighter Wing, the Alaska National Guard's 168th Air Refueling Wing and other units have about 2,700 air force active personnel. The base mainly deploys F-35A, F-16C/D fighter jets, A/OA-10 attack aircraft, KC-135 aerial tanker and other aircraft, and is responsible for providing strategic cruise support and air interception.
As one of the important air bases in the U.S., the Elson Air Force Base has an advantageous geographical location-across the Bering Strait and Russia. It is an outpost for the U.S. Air Force to carry out strategic reconnaissance, early warning, and local air defense. Strategic fulcrum in the Pacific and Arctic regions. During World War II and the Cold War, the base was an important operational support and air defense frontier for the US military in the Pacific region. After the end of the Cold War, its main task was adjusted from confronting the Soviet Union to responding to conflicts on the Korean Peninsula and the region. It has long played a key role in the deterrence and normal exercise of the US military's strategic forces.
In recent years, as the U.S. strategic focus shifts, the Elson Air Force Base, one of the Asia-Pacific geographic center of gravity and forward strategic fulcrum, has further received the attention of the U.S. military and political leaders, and its strategic position has been strengthened. Based on the future warfare model, the US military has accelerated the improvement of the Pacific Alaska joint shooting range headquartered at Elson Air Force Base since 2006, integrated the joint combat training range covering all combat fields, and improved the joint combat effectiveness of the base through the "Red Flag" series of air combat exercises. , To highlight the base as a forward position against strategic opponents. The 18th Invader Fighter Squadron, the famous imaginary enemy squadron of the US Air Force, is stationed here.
At the same time, the United States continues to upgrade the equipment and facilities of the base. In April of this year, two F-35A stealth fighters entered the base for the first time, making it one of the few fifth-generation aircraft air force bases in the United States. The U.S. military plans to deploy 54 F-35A to the base by December 2021. Together with the F-22 fighter jets from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska will become the most concentrated area of U.S. fifth-generation aircraft. The US military also plans to spend about 500 million US dollars to upgrade the base's hardware, build dozens of all-weather hangars and modern surface-to-air missile simulators. In addition, the base plans to build two fighter squadrons, double the number of pilots, and further expand the size of the base to enhance the strength and combat readiness of the base.
Under the guidance of the new national defense strategy, the United States may further strengthen its air forces in the Western Pacific and Arctic regions. The Elson Air Force Base, which is on its forward strategic fulcrum, will also play a greater role in the future strategic game and geopolitical competition among major powers.