Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Gary North said “places not bases” will be a key part of US strategy in the future. Speaking Thursday on a panel on contingency operations at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., North said he was happy that the Pentagon’s new defense strategy “gives us positioning power in the Pacific.” He added: “Our friends and our allies want a strong US presence in the region.”
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…