Andersen Air Force Base on the US island territory of Guam is taking on new significance in the Pacific, but most Air Force assets operating there will be on rotational tours and not on permanent assignment, reports Gen. Paul V. Hester, commander of Pacific Air Forces. The PACAF chief, in Orlando last week for AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium, told reporters that he expects that the only permanently based aircraft will be the Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft. It is possible that a squadron of a dozen tankers would also permanently bed down on Andersen, said Hester, but that is more unlikely than likely. Other combat forces, such as fighters and the bombers that have routinely rotated to Guam in recent years, will continue to visit the island on a rotational basis. B-1Bs, B-2s, and B-52s all have spent time on the island in recent years.
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?