Navy to restart reconnaissance flights at Wake Island this summer

The Navy is once again launching planes from Wake Island. This time, the island will serve as the base for P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft, according to contracts posted by the Navy.

The contracts, listed on SAM.gov, say that the service will use the island and its airfield for “Navy Summer Exercise 26.” That itself was not specified, but the P-8 Poseidon is used for reconnaissance flights and this operation is being overseen by the Seventh Fleet’s main reconnaissance and surveillance arm, Task Force 72. The Air Current first reported on the plan to use Wake Island, following reports on other old airfields from World War II being revived.

“The Navy continues to maintain the operational use of the airfield on Wake Island to include support for the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft,” a Seventh Fleet spokesperson said in a statement to Task & Purpose. “It is Navy policy not to discuss future operations or movements due to operations security.”

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Plans call for using the airfield for two 60-day periods, starting between Monday, June 15 and ending Nov. 30. According to the contract documents, the Navy wants workers to carry out support missions for P-8 flights, including refueling, air traffic control operations and weather observations. Additionally, the Navy wants to extend the hours of operations for the airfield on the island. The Navy also wants the airfield maintained for passenger and cargo aircraft coming in and out of Wake Island during that six-month period.

The American military has used Wake Island for decades. The small island’s location has made it an important stopover spot for planes crossing the Pacific. During World War II, Japan captured the island and its airfield in December 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It remained in Japanese control through the war. After World War II, the airfield remained in use as a stopover spot for commercial and military aircraft. The Air Force oversees the airfield, but staffing fluctuates. The island is uninhabited and infrequently used for training missions.

In 2020, the Air Force spent tens of millions of dollars updating the island’s airfield, repairing and expanding its infrastructure after it had “deteriorated,” according to the service.

The use of the airfield on Wake Island is part of a wider revival of World War II-era bases in the Pacific. For the last few years, the military has been restoring and updating airfields on small islands in the area, including restarting operations out of Peleliu. One of the biggest efforts involves the reactivation of the northern airfield on Tinian, in the Mariana Islands. The Air Current reported last month that flights there were set to begin on May 31; last month Pacific Air Forces declined to release the date that operations on Tinian would restart, but told Task & Purpose that it “continues to make significant progress on the rehabilitation of Tinian North Field” and plans to use it during “upcoming joint and bilateral training events.”