The 27th Fighter Wing at Cannon AFB, N.M., has sent 18 F-16s and some 400 airmen to Andersen AFB, Guam, for the latest theater security package rotation to help cover the Pacific region. The Cannon airmen and aircraft will remain at Andersen for four months, adding their firepower to the B-52 bombers currently deployed to Guam from Barksdale AFB, La. Remember that the 27th FW will be deactivating at Cannon and sending many of its fighters to Hill AFB, Utah. The wing has been working to streamline the shift of its aircraft to other units, creating a “template” for other units subject to BRAC 2005 reductions.
As the Pentagon increasingly pivots its focus to strategic competition with China, the U.S. will look to expand its partnership with South Korea to increase security across the entire Indo-Pacific region, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said Dec. 2 during a visit to the northeastern Asian nation.