Top leaders in the Department of Defense from both the Biden and Trump administrations agree that the Chinese Communist Party represents the most significant threat to the U.S. One senator has made it his goal to ensure the military takes tangible action to address that concern.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) frequently highlights Russian and Chinese aggression in both the air and maritime domains off Alaska’s coasts during Armed Services Committee hearings, whether for military civilian appointments or annual reports from combatant commanders.
He is actively advocating for the reopening of a naval base in the Aleutian Islands, which was closed nearly three decades ago, and for increasing military resources across Alaska.
“This is part of a broader strategic plan that our military needs to seriously reconsider. Honestly, their strategic thinking in the Indo-Pacific has been lazy,” Sullivan told the Washington Examiner.
Naval Air Facility Adak, located on Adak Island, sits approximately 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage and about 1,000 miles west of Hawaii. Its position makes it the closest U.S. territory to both Russia and China.
The Navy is preparing a report on the potential reopening of the base. Sullivan has received public confirmation from the commanders of U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command that they support the reopening of the base, which closed in 1997.
Navy officials recently visited Adak, which originally opened in May 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. They reviewed plans for the base, which included low, medium, and high restructuring options, each offering increasing capabilities, Sullivan said.
During World War II, as many as 90,000 troops were stationed in the Aleutian Islands. U.S. forces launched a successful offensive against Japanese-held Kiska and Attu islands in 1943.
“Adak is towards the end of the Aleutian archipelago, a chain of islands that stretches in an arc from the Alaskan coast,” said Dr. Joshua Tallis, an analyst with CNA. “The island and its airfield played a crucial role in World War II as a base for attacks on Japanese forces.”
The senator emphasized that the base has three piers, two 8,000-foot runways, a large hangar, and storage for 22 million gallons of fuel, even though it “looks a little bit run down.”
“Reopening [Naval Air Facility] Adak as a fully operational base would significantly enhance our ability to operate and respond quickly to threats in both the Arctic and Pacific regions,” a U.S. Indo-Pacific Command spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “The base’s unique location supports both the Pacific and Arctic regions.”
The spokesperson added that U.S. forces use Adak for training and exercises, which enhances their ability to operate from austere environments and adapt rapidly to shifting operational needs.
The Aleutian Islands consist of 14 major islands and over 50 smaller ones off Alaska’s southwestern coast.
“This westernmost location would offer, alongside Eareckson, an opportunity to gain time and distance on any force attempting to penetrate,” said Adm. Samuel Paparo, INDOPACOM Commander, in a recent Armed Services Committee hearing, referencing Eareckson Air Station in the Aleutian Islands.
Tallis, however, downplayed Adak’s role as a maritime resupply hub due to the lack of necessary infrastructure, but acknowledged that its real value lies in staging aircraft, particularly maritime patrol aircraft for the Navy.
Sullivan raised concerns during a committee hearing about a Chinese shipping company, which he suspects is a front for the government, repeatedly inquiring with the Aleut Corporation to lease the Adak naval base now that it is vacant.
“It’s a Chinese shipping company, which in my view is certainly a front for the PLA. How embarrassing would it be for the Pentagon or Navy if the Aleut Corporation, which is patriotic, were to sign a 100-year lease with a Chinese shipping company interested in Adak?” he told Paparo.
The commander responded, “Imagine having China’s Belt and Road Initiative include Alaska,” referencing China’s international strategy to forge infrastructure agreements that primarily benefit Beijing.
A spokesperson for the Aleut Corporation confirmed that Chinese shipping companies have inquired about leasing the base. “While not routine, we do receive repeated requests,” the spokesperson said.
The U.S. military has been tracking closer coordination between Russian and Chinese forces, with both countries increasing joint operations in the Pacific and Arctic. During a May 8 visit to Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to strengthen their strategic partnership.
Alaska holds its own strategic value, serving as the northernmost state and a key point in the Arctic. Melting ice caps have opened new strategic transportation routes, sparking competition among eight Arctic nations, including the U.S., six NATO members, and Russia, while China has declared itself a “near-Arctic” country.
“We’ve seen a significant uptick in both Russian and Chinese air and maritime activity around Alaska, particularly in the Bering Strait and Arctic,” Gen. Gregory Guillot told the Senate Armed Services Committee in February. “I believe China will increase its presence both independently and in cooperation with Russia in the air, maritime, and undersea domains.”
Russian and Chinese aircraft have stepped up their incursions into Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), an area that extends into international airspace and requires aircraft to identify themselves for national security purposes. These incursions have reached levels not seen since before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to NORTHCOM Commander Gen. Gregory Guillot.
Russian and Chinese naval drills have also breached Alaska’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where the U.S. has special rights for exploration and resource exploitation.
“Over the past year, NORAD and NORTHCOM have intercepted joint Russian and Chinese bombers off the Alaska coast, tracked Russian surface vessels off both coasts, and monitored multiple Chinese dual-use military and research vessels in the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean,” Guillot said. “Last year saw the highest number of Chinese vessels off Alaska’s coast.”
Each time an adversary enters U.S. airspace or maritime zones, U.S. forces intercept them, though these missions can be risky, particularly when the incursions occur far from U.S. bases in Alaska.
“Every time Russian bombers or joint Russian-Chinese forces enter our ADIZ, our military intercepts them. It’s a risky mission that highlights the need for more infrastructure to support these efforts,” Sullivan said, noting the long distances that pilots must travel for these intercepts.
Military officials have also raised alarms about the growing cooperation between China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Each country has its own military strengths and weaknesses, but together, they help bolster each other’s capabilities.
“It’s a transactional relationship where each country fills in the other’s weaknesses to their mutual benefit,” Paparo said. “China’s military modernization and aggression are serious threats to the homeland, our allies, and our partners.”
