Summary US Air Force developing dispersed bases in the Pacific to counter China's threats. Air Force practicing ACE concept through exercises like Bamboo Eagle. Chinese strikes on US bases in the Pacific could impact US intervention capabilities.
The US Air Force is working to create a network of dispersed bases and airfields from Australia to Japan in case of war with China . Since the beginning of organized war, tactics and strategies have been changing. Those who do not adapt are destined to lose, which remains true today.
For years, the United States has enjoyed unrivaled dominance in the air, and while it still does to a large extent, aircraft parked on the ground are little more than sitting ducks. The United States no longer feels its forward-deployed airbases are safe in the Pacific . Air Force planning to operate from dispersed bases Developments in drone and missile technology are increasingly putting US airbases at threat of attack.
This raises the prospect of many F-35s being destroyed on the ground in their airbases in Guam, Japan, and elsewhere. Numerous think tanks have been running war games of a potential war with China and have been highlighting these risks to the United States for years. Chinese strikes on US bases would have a major impact on the US's ability to intervene in any invasion of Taiwan in a timely manner.
In response to the growing threat, the US is developing a concept called Agile Combat Employment. With ACE, the US Air Force would spread out.