Plans For New Hardened Aircraft Shelters Notably Absent From New USAF Base Modernization Strategy
The USAF also says that its bases can no longer be treated as sanctuaries and need to be better prepared to operate while under attack.
Joseph Trevithick
Posted 23 Hours Ago
Any plans the Air Force might have for new hardened aircraft shelters or other physical defenses at bases are prominently absent from a new infrastructure modernization strategy rolled out today.
Any plans the Air Force might have for new hardened aircraft shelters or other physical defenses at bases are prominently absent from a new infrastructure modernization strategy. This is despite acknowledgments that the service’s facilities “can no longer be considered a sanctuary” and that those facilities need to be better prepared to support operations “even while under attack.” All of this comes amid a major debate that extends well beyond the Air Force about how best to defend key U.S. military infrastructure, especially from growing drone and missile threats, and with a particular eye toward a potential high-end fight with China.
The Department of the Air Force (DAF; which also includes the U.S. Space Force) unveiled what is formally called the Installation Infrastructure Action Plan (I2AP) yesterday. I2AP puts heavy emphasis on modernizing and right-sizing base infrastructure across the United States and abroad, as well as improving installation resiliency against hostile attacks and natural disasters, particularly when it comes to their electrical power requirements.
“DAF installations can no longer be considered a sanctuary. To ensure competitiveness in a high-end conflict, DAF installations must be able to deliver combat power with enough speed and intensity to be decisive, even while under attack,” an introduction to I2AP says. “From hypersonic technology to unmanned aerial systems to advanced cyber capabilities, our installations must meet these new challenges and effectively generate combat power.”
https://www.twz.com/air/plans-for-new-hardened-aircraft-shelters-notably-absent-from-new-usaf-base-modernization-strategy