Air Force eyes Northern Marianas airfields for annual exercises
By Jayvee Vallejera
The U.S. Air Force plans to use the Northern Mariana Islands' existing airports, as well as a World War II-era airfield, for thousands of training exercises to boost the service’s combat and disaster readiness. Up to 1,000 personnel may be on the ground at each of these airfields during these exercises.
The Department of the Air Force has posted a notice in the Federal Register announcing the preparation of an environmental impact statement to assess the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts associated with the planned training exercises.
The Air Force is proposing training exercises at the Saipan, Tinian and Rota international airports and the historic Tinian North Field, where the planes took off in August 1945 to drop the atomic bombs on Japan.
The EIS will assess the potential environmental impacts of conducting small, medium and large training and exercises consisting of up to 1,200 fixed-wing and 320 rotary-wing operations per airfield each year. That includes takeoffs and landings of airplanes, helicopters, unmanned drones and gyroplanes, among other types of aircraft.
According to the notice published in the Federal Register on Oct. 28, the training exercises would be supported by up to 550,000 gallons of fuel per airfield, including fuel receipt, storage and distribution; up to 1,000 personnel per airfield; the temporary installation of infrastructure and utilities; munitions handling including chaff and flare; support services; and associated pre-and post- training and exercise activities.
The EIS will also evaluate the impacts of two other alternatives. The first one boosts the number of training exercises by 20 percent. That’s up to 1,400 fixed-wing operations and up to 384 rotary-wing operations per airfield each year. The second one is the “no action” alternative.
The Air Force said its proposed actions in the CNMI will improve its ability to deploy resources and personnel across multiple sites within a specific area, enhancing efficiency and responsiveness while maintaining an agile and coordinated force in the Indo-Pacific region.
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The Air Force said the proposed training and exercise opportunities across several locations in the CNMI are aimed at developing the skills, procedures, and relationships necessary to rapidly maneuver, sustain, and deploy its forces.
The proposal is primarily based on the Air Force’s needs but could also support training and exercises involving other branches of the armed services, U.S. allies, or other partner nations.
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The Air Force said it has no plans to build or modify any of the CNMI’s existing airspaces, nor does it plan to increase or amend the use of munitions beyond those already analyzed in previous National Environmental Policy Act documentation.
The department assures it will comply with all requirements of the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, coastal zone consistency under the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the Clean Air Act.
It also plans to consult with the Federal Aviation Administration, CNMI’s Commonwealth Ports Authority and federal agencies with expertise on environmental analysis.
A 30-day scoping period will take place, and the public, stakeholders, and other interested parties are invited to these meetings:
Nov. 18, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., ChST, Saipan Pacific Islands Club, San Antonio, Saipan.
Nov. 19, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., ChST, Tinian, Tinian Western Lodge, Marpo Heights, Tinian.
Nov. 21, 12 noon to 3 p.m., ChST, Rota, the Rota Mayor's Office, Tatachok, Rota with potential alternate locations for Rota being the Courthouse or Round House.The department is also soliciting written comments on alternatives, impacts, relevant information, studies or analyses. All comments will be accepted at any time during the EIS process.
The draft EIS is expected to be issued in the fall of 2027 and the final EIS is anticipated in the summer of 2028.
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