This thread is a continuation of discussion that started in the J-20 thread. Since off topic stuff isn't allowed there, I thought maybe it could live on here. I do think air force subforum is the right place for this, given the number of views this subforum gets each day. It's definitely not for random topics or world military subforum.
Here's a RAND study that someone linked, that touches upon the subject:
But it doesn't paint a complete picture when it mentions just active unit USAF bases in Japan.
Here's what bases US has in total, on japanese soil:
Misawa, operated by USAF.
One runway. Four more taxiways capable of serving as provisionary runways.
Very extensive hardrened shelter network. 64 individual fighter plane sizes shelters. 7-8 larger hardened shelters for fighter sized planes. Approximately 27 more planes. 33 possibly double sized semi hardened shelters, so possibly 66 f-16 sized planes. Or 33 F-15 sized planes. also 30 individual sized semi hardened shelters. 32 non-sheltered hangars for fighter sized planes. That'a total of 186-219 fighter sized planes having some sort of shelter. Plus various other larger hangars for larger planes and a bunch of parking space all around the base. 25 dedicated parking spaces (some with revetments) and a large apron space for 60+ planes.
closest distance to china, if going over russian airspace: 850 km.
Closest distance to china, if going over international airspace: 2030 km.
Yokota, operated by USAF
One runway. Two more taxiways come runways.
No hardened shelters. 4+ sheleters for small planes, some larger plane hangars. some 55-60 dedicated and separated parking places. Medium apron space, enough for some 30 fighter sized planes, to be parked with same separation as mentioned dedicated, separated parking places.
distance to china, over russia: 1090 km
Distance to china: 1710 km
Fukuoka airport, used by USAF (as well as JASDF)
Used for logistics purposes as a cargo hub. If Japan doesn't enter the conflict, it's plausible this would be off limits to the US.
Distance to china 830 km
Kadena, operated by USAF
Two runways. Probably no taxiways that could be of dual use as runways.
15 semi hardened shelters, individual planes. Some 50 shelters for fighter planes. Some 35 separated parking spaces. Plus some apron space for 30-something fighter sized planes.
This is only half of the base, though. The other half, norther half, seems to be for large planes only. Various tankers, support etc etc. Bunch of parking spaces there, huge aprons, but only a few large hangars. no hardened shelters of course. If used for parking tactical planes, another 100-150 could be parked there with some decent separation between them.
Distance to china: 650 km
Kisarazu Airfield: used by USN (main user is Japanese Army)
Has one 1800 m runway. Very little other facilities. Most likely not to be used by US air forces, except for perhaps emergency landings or what not.
Distaince over russia: 1150 km
Distance to china: 1720 km
Futenma, operated by USMC
One runway, one taxiway come runway
No hardened shelters. Some larger hangars. Some 20 or so parking spaces plus a sizable apron, enough for 30+ more fighter planes.
Distance to china: 650 km
Iwakuni, operated by USMC
One runway, two taxiways come runway
31 hardened shelters. 40 individual shelters, plus various larger hangars. Apron space for some 120+ fighters, with some separation.
Distance over russia 980 km
Distance otherwise: 1010 km
Atsugi, operated by USN
One runway. Possible one more taxiway to be used as runway.
No hardened shelters. No small sized shelters, only larger hangars. Apron space for some 60+ dispersed fighters. But as the base is also used by larger USN planes, it's questionable how many fighter planes would be stationed.
Over russia 1120 km
Otherwise 1680 km
Then there's the US soil airbases.
Anderson, Guam, USAF
2 runways, 2-3 taxiways come runways
15 hardened shelters, 12 small shelters, some large hangars. Some 130 parking spaces and apron space for some 40+ planes.
Distance to China 2920 km
Guam Airport (civilian, but would get used by US without doubt)
2 runways, one taxiway
apron space for some 40 fighters, separated.
Distance to China 2920 km
Rota Airport
One 2200 m runway. Very little apron space. Would likely be expanded into a bigger facility, so it can hold more planes and equipment.
Distaince to China 2910 km
Tinian Airport
One 2600 m runway, one taxiway, possible runway use. Little apron space. Could be expanded into a bigger facility but even without expansion it's sized enough for a dozen planes to operate from it.
Old abandoned Tinian airbase.
Has to be cleared and built into an airbase, but there already are 4 old, 2000+ km airstrips from ww2. Definitely a place US would refurbish ASAP.
Distance to China 2890 km
Saipan airport
One 2600 m runway, one taxiway come runway. Decent apron space. Probably two dozen fighters from the get go, before expansion.
Distance to China 2885 km
Note, all the Guam area bases are rather far away, so use of fighters from them may not be their main role. Rather, tankers, awacs, recon, maritime patrol, asw and bombers may be the main planes to be used there. Still, a fighter could be used, if need be, though it would probably require some tanking both on trip away and the trip back to base. F-22s in particular seem worth the hassle, as the distance would also protect them more on the ground than if they were stationed in Japan. Though Misawa is also a very likely F-22 home base choice.
Wake airbase (deployment USAF base)
One runway, one taxiway come runway. Immediate Apron space for some 30-ish fighters. Though there are other large, clear areas a bit farther away for 25+ more fighters. Due to distance, though, most likely to be used by larger planes. Bombers, tankers etc.
Distance to china 4600 km.
There are other countries that could participate (Singapore? Australia? etc) but now we're getting way too much into politics so I'll avoid that.
Some new bases may emerge. If that co-op Australia-US base on Manus island in Papua NG does happen, as advertised, that'd add another base of unknown size and use, 4250 km from China.
New bases and airstrips could be constructed on Islands near Guam. That's basically a given.
existing bases, such as ones in japan, could also be expanded when it comes to certain facilities, like parking spaces, shelters, etc.
Then there are the carriers and LHAs.
Japanese bases: shelters and fighter sized dedicated parking places: 450 (apron parking space not accounted for)
If Japanese base apron space is used: 420 more planes. (though realistically most of those may go to larger planes)
If Guam area bases are used, 250 more spaces before expansions, new base construction. Realistically, a large portion of those may go to larger planes)
So, if we add 450 plus 420*0.33 plus 250*0.33 we're somewhere at 670 tactical planes, without the carrier/LHA borne ones. Before any expansions and additions. And providing Japan doesn't change the current status. If it enters the war, then pretty much all of Japan would become one huge base, with dozens and dozens of airpors and airbases. Or on the other hand, if it defies america completely, it may even throw them out from the current bases, in which case US would likely not even try to engage in any sort of a war.
Here's a RAND study that someone linked, that touches upon the subject:
But it doesn't paint a complete picture when it mentions just active unit USAF bases in Japan.
Here's what bases US has in total, on japanese soil:
Misawa, operated by USAF.
One runway. Four more taxiways capable of serving as provisionary runways.
Very extensive hardrened shelter network. 64 individual fighter plane sizes shelters. 7-8 larger hardened shelters for fighter sized planes. Approximately 27 more planes. 33 possibly double sized semi hardened shelters, so possibly 66 f-16 sized planes. Or 33 F-15 sized planes. also 30 individual sized semi hardened shelters. 32 non-sheltered hangars for fighter sized planes. That'a total of 186-219 fighter sized planes having some sort of shelter. Plus various other larger hangars for larger planes and a bunch of parking space all around the base. 25 dedicated parking spaces (some with revetments) and a large apron space for 60+ planes.
closest distance to china, if going over russian airspace: 850 km.
Closest distance to china, if going over international airspace: 2030 km.
Yokota, operated by USAF
One runway. Two more taxiways come runways.
No hardened shelters. 4+ sheleters for small planes, some larger plane hangars. some 55-60 dedicated and separated parking places. Medium apron space, enough for some 30 fighter sized planes, to be parked with same separation as mentioned dedicated, separated parking places.
distance to china, over russia: 1090 km
Distance to china: 1710 km
Fukuoka airport, used by USAF (as well as JASDF)
Used for logistics purposes as a cargo hub. If Japan doesn't enter the conflict, it's plausible this would be off limits to the US.
Distance to china 830 km
Kadena, operated by USAF
Two runways. Probably no taxiways that could be of dual use as runways.
15 semi hardened shelters, individual planes. Some 50 shelters for fighter planes. Some 35 separated parking spaces. Plus some apron space for 30-something fighter sized planes.
This is only half of the base, though. The other half, norther half, seems to be for large planes only. Various tankers, support etc etc. Bunch of parking spaces there, huge aprons, but only a few large hangars. no hardened shelters of course. If used for parking tactical planes, another 100-150 could be parked there with some decent separation between them.
Distance to china: 650 km
Kisarazu Airfield: used by USN (main user is Japanese Army)
Has one 1800 m runway. Very little other facilities. Most likely not to be used by US air forces, except for perhaps emergency landings or what not.
Distaince over russia: 1150 km
Distance to china: 1720 km
Futenma, operated by USMC
One runway, one taxiway come runway
No hardened shelters. Some larger hangars. Some 20 or so parking spaces plus a sizable apron, enough for 30+ more fighter planes.
Distance to china: 650 km
Iwakuni, operated by USMC
One runway, two taxiways come runway
31 hardened shelters. 40 individual shelters, plus various larger hangars. Apron space for some 120+ fighters, with some separation.
Distance over russia 980 km
Distance otherwise: 1010 km
Atsugi, operated by USN
One runway. Possible one more taxiway to be used as runway.
No hardened shelters. No small sized shelters, only larger hangars. Apron space for some 60+ dispersed fighters. But as the base is also used by larger USN planes, it's questionable how many fighter planes would be stationed.
Over russia 1120 km
Otherwise 1680 km
Then there's the US soil airbases.
Anderson, Guam, USAF
2 runways, 2-3 taxiways come runways
15 hardened shelters, 12 small shelters, some large hangars. Some 130 parking spaces and apron space for some 40+ planes.
Distance to China 2920 km
Guam Airport (civilian, but would get used by US without doubt)
2 runways, one taxiway
apron space for some 40 fighters, separated.
Distance to China 2920 km
Rota Airport
One 2200 m runway. Very little apron space. Would likely be expanded into a bigger facility, so it can hold more planes and equipment.
Distaince to China 2910 km
Tinian Airport
One 2600 m runway, one taxiway, possible runway use. Little apron space. Could be expanded into a bigger facility but even without expansion it's sized enough for a dozen planes to operate from it.
Old abandoned Tinian airbase.
Has to be cleared and built into an airbase, but there already are 4 old, 2000+ km airstrips from ww2. Definitely a place US would refurbish ASAP.
Distance to China 2890 km
Saipan airport
One 2600 m runway, one taxiway come runway. Decent apron space. Probably two dozen fighters from the get go, before expansion.
Distance to China 2885 km
Note, all the Guam area bases are rather far away, so use of fighters from them may not be their main role. Rather, tankers, awacs, recon, maritime patrol, asw and bombers may be the main planes to be used there. Still, a fighter could be used, if need be, though it would probably require some tanking both on trip away and the trip back to base. F-22s in particular seem worth the hassle, as the distance would also protect them more on the ground than if they were stationed in Japan. Though Misawa is also a very likely F-22 home base choice.
Wake airbase (deployment USAF base)
One runway, one taxiway come runway. Immediate Apron space for some 30-ish fighters. Though there are other large, clear areas a bit farther away for 25+ more fighters. Due to distance, though, most likely to be used by larger planes. Bombers, tankers etc.
Distance to china 4600 km.
There are other countries that could participate (Singapore? Australia? etc) but now we're getting way too much into politics so I'll avoid that.
Some new bases may emerge. If that co-op Australia-US base on Manus island in Papua NG does happen, as advertised, that'd add another base of unknown size and use, 4250 km from China.
New bases and airstrips could be constructed on Islands near Guam. That's basically a given.
existing bases, such as ones in japan, could also be expanded when it comes to certain facilities, like parking spaces, shelters, etc.
Then there are the carriers and LHAs.
Japanese bases: shelters and fighter sized dedicated parking places: 450 (apron parking space not accounted for)
If Japanese base apron space is used: 420 more planes. (though realistically most of those may go to larger planes)
If Guam area bases are used, 250 more spaces before expansions, new base construction. Realistically, a large portion of those may go to larger planes)
So, if we add 450 plus 420*0.33 plus 250*0.33 we're somewhere at 670 tactical planes, without the carrier/LHA borne ones. Before any expansions and additions. And providing Japan doesn't change the current status. If it enters the war, then pretty much all of Japan would become one huge base, with dozens and dozens of airpors and airbases. Or on the other hand, if it defies america completely, it may even throw them out from the current bases, in which case US would likely not even try to engage in any sort of a war.