The United States conducted aerial refueling training earlier this month, deploying aircraft from bases across the Pacific to demonstrate the reach of its air power in the vast region.
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment by email.
Why It Matters
The training exercise comes against the backdrop of the Pentagon‘s designation of the Indo-Pacific as its “priority theater,” where China continues to challenge U.S. military dominance.
The U.S. Air Force has deployed various types of aircraft—including stealth fighter jets, bombers, and spy planes—in allied Pacific nations near China, including at Kadena Air Base and Misawa Air Base in Japan, which serve as front line staging areas for power projection.
While combat aircraft play a major role in both offensive and defensive operations, aerial refueling aircraft—also known as tanker aircraft—provide critical support, as shown during U.S. bomber strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in Operation Midnight Hammer over the weekend.
What To Know
Aircrews assigned to Travis Air Force Base in California were deployed to Misawa Air Base in Japan with a KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft—which has a fuel capacity of over 212,000 pounds—for off-station training, according to a U.S. Air Force news release on June 18.
The U.S. West Coast-based tanker transited the Pacific and conducted aerial refueling with Misawa Air Base’s F-16 fighter jets upon entering Japanese airspace, demonstrating what the U.S. Air Force described as “worldwide mission capability” to extend operational readiness.
Aerial refueling serves as the critical enabler of air superiority, stated the U.S. Air Force. It is an indispensable capability for global operations, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, where it is essential for mission execution.
The ability to rapidly redeploy fighter aircraft and keep them fueled in flight is a cornerstone of strategy, as regional tensions and contingencies continue to evolve, the news release read.
U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Bradford Waldie, who serves as director of operations of the 14th Fighter Squadron at Misawa Air Base, said distance is the “greatest challenge” to projecting power in the Pacific, noting that the tanker took 10 hours to reach its destination.
The KC-46A—which is also capable of carrying passengers and cargo, as well as performing medical evacuations—is equipped with a number of self-protection, defensive, and communication features that enhance its survivability in contested environments, according to an official fact sheet.
What People Are Saying
U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Bradford Waldie, director of operations of the 14th Fighter Squadron, said in a news release: “Seeing the KC-46 successfully launch from Travis [Air Force Base] and meet us on time after a 10-hour sortie builds confidence in our ability to overcome the challenge of distance and deliver combat power anywhere it is required in the area of responsibility.”
The U.S. Air Force said in a news release: “The KC-46, the newest tanker aircraft in the Department of Defense, with advanced refueling systems and defensive capabilities, delivered critical fuel support to the F-16’s midair—extending their range, preserving their combat readiness and reinforcing the Air Force’s commitment to global power projection.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the U.S. Air Force will forward-deploy some of its KC-46A aircraft to bases in the western Pacific to enhance overall operational flexibility.
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