North Korea has completed preparations for a missile strike against US bases on the island of Guam, North Korea's interim foreign affairs chief Zin Jeong Hep said in an interview earlier this week.
It is recalled that the country's chief of state, Kim Jong-un, had previously threatened to strike ballistic missiles at US military facilities should the Pentagon continue to expand its military presence in South Korea.
One can speculate a lot about whether the North Korean leader will dare to do so and what the American response will be. However, the target chosen for a potential attack is important. The island of Guam is home to one of the most powerful and equipped Pentagon bases outside of the US, and if it is wiped out, the balance of forces in the region can change dramatically. Sputnik publishes a list of the most strategically important American military installations.
Bases on the island of Guam
The Americans have two important military installations on the island of Guam: the Andersen Air Base and the Naval Base of Apra Harbor. The two have a strategic location for the Pentagon, being, so to speak, their main "muscles" in the Pacific. In the first, long-range bombers and missile carriers capable of carrying nuclear weapons have been stationed since the late 1970s.
The base's infrastructure allows for airplanes of all classes, including the modern B-52, B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit strategic bombers, as well as air support fighters, early warning aircraft, among others. According to the media, there are currently six B-1B airplanes, but if necessary, the air force can be extended literally in just a few days.
From Andersen's base the US Air Force can carry out missile attacks and bombardments against targets located along the entire Pacific coast of Eurasia. Nowadays, the main potential target of the "strategists" of Guam is North Korea. However, the bases may pose a potential threat to the largest geopolitical actors in the region - Russia and China.
The naval base at Apra Harbor, located in the western part of the island, is the second largest after Pearl Harbor in the Hawaii Archipelago, being one of the two largest US Navy installations in the Pacific Ocean. Here is located a floating dock to repair large surface vessels, including the multifunctional assault ships of the Tarawa class. In addition, some 20,000 Marines from Okinawa are expected to be dispatched. There is no exact data on ships parked in Apra, but according to the media, it is well known that in 2016 the strategic nuclear submarine Pennsylvania landed in Guam. In addition, the base counts on about four multifunctional submarines of the class Los Angeles, that patrols regularly the Pacific.
Ramstein Air Base
The Ramstein Air Base in Germany is the seat of the US Air Force in Europe and the largest American military facility in the European Union, and is the NATO Anti-Defense Command Center. About 40,000 men - 35,000 soldiers and 5,000 civilian specialists - serve and work here. At present, the Ramstein base is the main transit point for US freight and cargo transportation in Europe. The base accommodates 16 squadrons of military transport aircraft from the 86th airborne group. It was here that troops and war material have been installed that have been carrying out countless military maneuvers in Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries, along with their NATO allies. It is also worth mentioning that on this basis there are nuclear weapons (about 150 aerial bombs).
In the event of a conflict between NATO and Russia, Ramstein will be primarily used to house the contingent and war material and will probably serve as an airfield for medium- and long-range bombers.
Al Udeid Air Base
Since 2001, Al Udeid, located south of Doha, the capital of Qatar, has been the main American base in the Middle East. Here is stationed the Central Command outpost of the US Armed Forces (CENTCOM) as well as the General Staff of all combat aviation with CENTCOM. In the years 2000 in the environs of Al Udeid thousands of American military were mobilized, of the order of 300 Abrams tanks, 400 Bradley infantry combat vehicles, several systems of Patriot missiles. In airstrips, with a length of more than 4000 meters, can land all types of aircraft.
The base played a crucial role during the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the moment, in Qatar there are about 10 thousand American troops. Al Udeid's base is the most important of the 35 US facilities in the region. It is through it that the operations of the US-led counter-terrorist coalition in Syria and Iraq are being coordinated.
Bases in Japan
In total, in Japan, there are more than 90 US military installations, which are part of the United States Forces Japan (USFJ) regional command, based at the Yokota airbase east of Tokyo. More than 14,000 military and civilian specialists are on duty here. The base serves as an important crossing point for American contingents who come to do service in Japan on a rotating basis.
In addition, the 11 US Marine Corps infrastructures should be mentioned on the relatively small island of Okinawa. These facilities include fields, training complexes, airfields, logistics centers, arsenals, among others. Here, at the Kadena airfield, is the 18th largest air force group - one of the largest in the US Air Force.
In addition, it deserves special attention the air base of Misawa, to the north of Tokyo. This is one of the few airfields outside of the US territory where Americans dare to send the most modern planes - the 5th generation F-22 Raptor fighters.
Taking into account the number and composition of US military bases in Japan, it can be deduced that the Pentagon considers this country as the bridgehead to face China, Russia and North Korea.
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