Naval Buildup on Guam

April 29, 2007

On April 15, the new commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific admitted to reporters that the buildup of naval forces on the island of Guam was due to growing "tensions" with China and North Korea.

The U.S. Air Force and Navy have been increasing their presence on Guam in recent years by deploying warplanes, ships, and groundforces to the island. The Navy moved three nuclear-powered attack submarines to Guam's Apra Harbor in 2002. Two years ago, the Air Force started rotating F-15 fighter jets and B-2 stealth bombers to Andersen Air Force Base from the U.S. mainland and Alaska. The base is also home to B-52 bombers. Later this year, workers will begin constructing a $52 million complex that will host four to six Global Hawk spy planes. The Marine Corps also plans to move 8,000 of its forces to Guam from the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.

The U.S. and Japanese governments plan to spend at least $10 billion to move the ground forces to Guam over the next few years.

When questioned by reporters if the buildup was targeting China and North Korea, U.S. Admiral Timothy Keating said yes while adding "We're not doing this under the cover of darkness. It's OK with us that folks know about it," Keating said. "It's kind of the point."