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The United States military has over 700,000 facilities across almost 5,000 sites at home and abroad, with much of the infrastructure aging. Around a third of the buildings are more than 50 years old, while less than 5% of the budget is allocated to maintaining its massive amounts of infrastructure. A Fiscal 2025 audit found the deferred maintenance backlog had reached over $278 billion across the military. However, zooming into the air bases in the Pacific, the picture becomes more nuanced.
Some established air bases in the Pacific, such as Kadena Air Base in Japan, are often cited as in dire need of investment in aging infrastructure. Others, like Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, may have better-maintained infrastructure, but the Air Force is working to expand the base. Still others, like North Field on Tinian Island, have been abandoned since soon after WWII and are now being rehabilitated.
Kadena Air Force Base, Japan
Approx. $1 billion in spending over three years
In an August 2026 report, a government watchdog reported (partially redacted), “We found that the Stearley Heights, Sebille Manor, and Washington Heights housing communities at Kadena AB, exhibit either ceiling collapses, visible mold, or visible concrete spalling.” Kadena Air Force Base on Japan’s Okinawa is the ‘Keystone of the Pacific‘ and one of the Air Force’s most important bases in the entire region.
Kadena is considered the hub of airpower in the Pacific, is home to the 18th Wing, and hosts almost 20,000 Americans and almost 3,000 Japanese employees and contractors. The watchdog report recommended that responsible commanders “submit a prioritized list of infrastructure repair or replacement projects based on risk to critical missions for ….Kadena Air Base, and Yokota Air Base to the Military Secretaries.“
In Fiscal 2025, the Air Force requested approximately $267 million for Kadena projects focused on rehabilitating aging infrastructure through individual military construction (MILCON). This appears to have been enacted, while in Fiscal 2026 it requested $318 million, which was likewise enacted.
In Fiscal 2027, the Air Force has requested $443 million to cover a much broader recapitalization effort focused on increasing Indo-Pacific resilience and addressing deferred maintenance. Adding this together means the Air Force has secured or is likely to secure around $1 billion in funding for Kadena infrastructure over three years.
Yokota Air Base, Japan
Approx. $724 million in spending over three years
The other major airbase singled out in the watchdog report in Japan is Yokota Air Base. Yokota Air Base is located in the Tama Area (Western Tokyo) and houses around 14,000 personnel. The garrisoning unit is the 374th Airlift Wing and is an important base for airlift missions throughout East Asia.
Yokota’s website says, “Yokota Air Base is also home to U.S. Forces Japan, a joint service headquarters coordinating matters affecting U.S. and Japanese defense relations, and Fifth Air Force, whose mission is to enhance the U.S. deterrent posture and, if necessary, provide fighter and military airlift support for offensive air operations.“
The U.S. Air Force is also spending heavily on Yokota, but in a different way than at Kadena. Kadena is being hardened for frontline fighter operations that are under missile threat. By contrast, infrastructure investment in Yokota is mostly to modernize it as the headquarters of US Forces Japan and the principal airlift hub for the region.
In Fiscal 2025, the Air Force requested and received $188 million; in Fiscal 2026, this rose to $241 million, which was substantially enacted. In its Fiscal 2027 requests, the Air Force has asked Congress for another $295 million. In total, this is $724 million for Yokota over three years. The funds cover projects like an air mobility operations complex, logistics readiness facilities, command and control facilities, aircraft maintenance infrastructure, modernization of headquarters facilities, and more.
Northwest Airfield, Guam
Approx. $1.3 billion in spending over three years
While the US Air Force has been heavily investing in new infrastructure and expansion at its primary Andersen Air Force Base on Guam, perhaps more interesting is the restoration of Northwest Field. Northwest Field is an austere WWII airfield located immediately north of Andersen and has become one of the Air Force’s most important Pacific infrastructure projects.
While other bases may have deteriorating infrastructure from deferred maintenance, Northwest Field had been largely abandoned as an operational airbase. Fiscal 2025 was a breakthrough year for the airfield, with funding to convert the airfield from a training strip to an operational dispersal base as part of the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) doctrine.
Funds for dual Northwest Airfield/Andersen (per budget documents) | Northwest Airfield | Andersen AFB (approx) |
|---|---|---|
Fiscal 2025 | $372 million | $326 million |
Fiscal 2026 | $441 million | $440 million |
Fiscal 2027 | $518 million | $227 million |
Total | $1.33 billion | $1.1 billion |
In Fiscal 2025, the Air Force received $372 million to start rehabilitating the base; in Fiscal 2026, this rose to around $441 million, and the Fiscal 2027 request is $518 million. That is around $1.33 billion for the old WWII base over three budget cycles. Some of its major 2025 projects have included a new 20-acre parking apron, a fuel pipeline and hydrant system, taxiways, and pavement reconstruction.
Notable Fiscal 2026 projects include expeditionary maintenance facilities, fuel storage and distribution, and airfield operation facilities. The larger Fiscal 2027 proposal calls for more aircraft parking, hardened support infrastructure, and other improvements. Besides Andersen and its Northwest Field satellite, other notable installations on Guam include the primary Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport and the Orote Field at the Naval Station Guam. It is unclear if the US will rehabilitate Orote Field.
North Field/Tinian Divert Airfield, Northern Mariana Islands
Approx. $800 million in spending over three years
Just to the north of Guam is the southern Northern Mariana Island of Tinian. Tinian was one of the most important bases for operations against Japan during the Pacific War. Today, the USAF is investing heavily in the island’s two airfields: the WWII bomber airfield of North Field and the existing civilian airport, Tinian Divert Airfield/Tinian International Airport.
North Field is being rebuilt as an austere dispersed combat base. In Fiscal 2025, North Field received $150 million, another $170 million in 2026, and $89 million requested for 2027. Tinian Divert got $96 million in 2025, $288 million in 2026, and $61 million is requested for 2027. North Field is a large four-runway WWII complex, and major works include runway pavement rehabilitation, taxiway reconstruction, aircraft parking aprons, vegetation clearing, expeditionary support facilities, logistics infrastructure, and more.
The civilian/diversion airport is getting runway strengthening, taxiway extensions, more aircraft parking, maintenance and support buildings, and fuel infrastructure. The groundbreaking ceremony was held at Tinian North Field in August 2025, and the work is now well underway. First operations are expected in 2027. Overall, this is around $409 million for North Field and $384 million for Divert Airfield over three years, and a total of $800 million for the tiny island.
Meanwhile, the local Pacific Island Times reported in January 2026, “The revised draft EIS includes two small‑arms live‑fire ranges, ground maneuver training, aviation training at North Field and 13 landing zones across the military lease area. It also calls for a temporary expeditionary base camp, two radar towers and portable communications equipment to support small, dispersed units operating in the Indo‑Pacific.” It notes that this draft removes some controversial elements from earlier proposals.
Andersen Air Force Base, Guam
Approx. $1.1 billion in spending over three years
The DoD Inspector General has found that Andersen Air Force Base on Guam is among the major air force bases suffering from years of deferred maintenance, as well as climate-related stressors. It also found that Andersen needed $122 million in facilities sustainment funding in 2025, but only received $34.7 million, or just 28% of the needed amount. Averaging Fiscal 2023, 2024, and 2025, it received only around 37% of what it needed.
One of the issues with coastal and island bases like Andersen (and others on this list) is that the salt air rapidly corrodes building systems, pipes, and other equipment. At the same time, much of its infrastructure is now over 50 years old. When it comes to maintenance expenditures for Andersen, the picture is somewhat complicated. A large amount of the construction at Andersen is funded by the Navy, Army, and defense-wide accounts, even though it supports Air Force operations.
Consequently, looking only at Air Force MILCON spending significantly understates the investment being made in the installation. For example, while there was no major Air Force MILCON project at Andersen in FY2025, the Navy/Joint Region Marianas construction program included around $326 million in projects at the base. The corresponding FY2026 program included roughly $440 million in construction and related investment. These figures should not, however, be confused with Air Force facilities sustainment funding: they represent separate construction programs and include projects serving broader joint requirements.
The Fiscal 2027 picture is particularly complicated. The budget includes around $144 million for Andersen housing and $132 million for a Joint Consolidated Communications Center, while the Army is also seeking $190 million for the Guam Defense System. However, the latter project covers both Andersen and Naval Base Guam, making it impossible to attribute the full amount to Andersen. At a minimum, around $277 million of Fiscal 2027 funding can be directly identified for Andersen, with additional funding coming through the Guam Defense System and other joint programs.
