Palau-U.S. defense projects boost air domain awareness, operational flexibility
Tom Abke
The island nation of Palau and the United States are partnering to increase air domain awareness and enhance operational flexibility and airpower projection in the Indo-Pacific, officials and analysts say. Collaborative defense infrastructure projects in Palau include construction of an uncrewed tactical multi-mission, over-the-horizon radar (TACMOR) facility on Babeldaob Island, and the restoration and recertification of a military airstrip on the island of Peleliu.
The initiatives demonstrate the nations’ robust defense relationship, Dr. Jeffrey Hornung, a defense analyst with the Rand Corp., told FORUM.
Under their bilateral Compact of Free Association, the U.S. is responsible for Palau’s defense and the U.S. military can operate from sites in the island nation.
The airstrip, known for its role in the World War II Battle of Peleliu, was restored by U.S. Marine Corps engineers in cooperation with the local government and recertified for operational use in June 2024.
“On behalf of the Peleliu citizens, I thank the U.S. Department of Defense with U.S. Marines for making this long-awaited joint-use airfield become a reality,” Peleliu Gov. Emais Roberts said at a ceremony marking the event. “Our small island community has benefited immensely with the U.S. Marine presence. We value the great partnership, and we feel safe and protected with the support of the greatest country in this world.”
In late June, a KC-130J Super Hercules tanker from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing became the first military fixed-wing aircraft to land on the historic airstrip since its recertification, according to a U.S. Marine Corps news release. Analysts said the airstrip will allow the U.S. to expand its role in maintaining regional security.
“The location of this airfield, outside of the first island chain but strategically close to key partners and allies in Southeast and Northeast Asia, makes it a critical node to enhance operational flexibility and support the projection of airpower into the Indo-Pacific,” Kathryn Paik, a senior fellow and Australia chair at the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, told FORUM.
Paik said the project also is a significant opportunity to bolster the bilateral relationship by addressing development needs in Peleliu, such as constructing seawalls and enhancing water systems and energy grids.
On Babeldaob, meanwhile, the TACMOR system is expected to be completed by 2026, according to a Palauan government report. The radar will be essential for providing air domain awareness across thousands of square kilometers and expanding the capacity of the U.S. and regional partners to monitor air traffic near Palau, the report stated. It will enhance aviation safety and security.
“Construction of the TACMOR system would enable the U.S. Government to conserve or redirect manpower, fuel, and defense resources otherwise spent on ships and aircraft that have traditionally been used to monitor the regional air domain,” according to the report.
Tom Abke is a FORUM correspondent reporting from Singapore.
