Full Text: Exclusive Interview with 18th Wing Commander

“To be open and transparent”

 

(Reporter) Thank you so much for having time with us. Could you tell us the reason why you let us have this opportunity today?

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I think it's always important to have built a relationship with a host nation when you're operating within it. And here at the 18th wing, we're responsible to make sure that we maintain the security of the region and defend US and Japan’s interests. I think it's good to be open and transparent about that.

“The environment here has changed dramatically”

(Reporter) You have been in the Indo-Pacific region for years including in Osan and Kadeda, so you must have been watching this area very closely. How do you see the current security situation here? And how are the adversary’s advances changing the situation around Kadena? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I think the strategic environment is changing very rapidly. I think this is an opportunity for our alliances to shine. I think the asymmetric advantage that the United States and Japan has is our friendship, and our ability to integrate and operate. And I think that's really the main focus. As the environment changes, we're going to grow stronger, we're going to modernize, and we're going to make sure that we handle anything that comes our way.

(Reporter) How do you see the threat around Okinawa? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) You have North Korea. They're doing some troubling things from time to time. And, China, they're also doing some troubling things. Our job here in the 18th wing is to make sure that we're ready and prevent them to do anything that would cause us to go.

(Reporter) You were in this area in the early 2000s as well. Compared to that time, do you see any changes in this region? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I can talk specifically for Japan. I was here in Japan in 2009 to do their thing as well. And so I think the government of Japan has recognized the strategic challenges that are going on right now.  And over the course of the last year, they've actually written some strategic documents that are very closely aligned to the United States National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy. I think that is a key step to shoring up our alliances and making sure we defend our mutual interests that are very closely aligned together.  I think the environment here has changed dramatically, both strategically, and also the recognition of the Japanese government and others.

(Reporter) Thinktanks including CSIS published reports that mentioned the vulnerability of Kadena Air Base. In terms of the threats of long-range missiles from China, what do you think about this vulnerability?

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) First of all, one thing that's unique to Kadena like you said, it's a long-range missile. I think for us, the main thing that we focus on is staying ready and I think as long as we can stay ready, and that's both the United States Air Force and the Japanese air force and any other allies and partners that are willing to maintain us free and open Indo Pacific, as long as we can do that, China is not willing to go to war and those missiles will never fall.

“We're looking for places to disperse”

(Reporter) In ACE (Agile Combat Employment) concept, what is the role of the Kadena air base? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) Our role in Kadena doesn't change under ACE. But what happens is we have to train some of our airmen to be able to respond to different things that they wouldn't normally do inside their specialty code. So the MCA training that you saw is designed to allow him to do multiple things in a contingency and we're doing that so in case they had to do that potentially they'd be prepared to do so. 

(Reporter) Other airbases must be working on ACE concept as well. How are their roles different from each other? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I think it really depends on what missions they are assigned to do at their bases and I don't want to comment too much on installations outside of Kadena but for us here specifically. We just want to make sure that the airmen are prepared to do the things that they do for the missions that we're tasked to do. 

(Reporter) ACE shifts operations from centralized infrastructures to smaller and dispersed locations. So if this is the case, do you still need a large airbase?

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I don't think you'll see much change on what Kadena Air Base does. This is a place that's a strategic platform where we can train and integrate forces here locally. What you're talking about for ACE and dispersal of forces is the opportunity to spread out and move your forces and dispersed in the region to complicate the calculus of your enemy ally. You continue operations and a contingency environment. So a little bit different. 

(Reporter) I'd like to know much more about how ACE operation works specifically in this country and in this region. So when you say dispersed locations, what location do you exactly mean in this country like mainland Japan or Okinawa? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I think I can't comment very specifically on that, but we're looking for places to disperse for any partners or allies. They want to be part of the solution and deterrence platform here in the Pacific. As far as Japan specifically, I think 'up to the United States government and the government of Japan to negotiate whatever places those are. 

(Reporter) I read the ACE doctrine that was published last year, and it says that access to partner military and civil airfields will be required. So could you explain more about this?

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I think, again, you know, those negotiations will happen between the United States government and the country of Japan, but what we're looking for is a place you can operate from in a contingency in case you know, there's something happening and you can't come back to your to the field that you're from. So you can sustain operations. That's really the point of it. And then when an adversary is taking a look at you, their calculus is complicated, because now instead of looking at one large installation, there are multiple and they have to go try to find you and then target those places.

(Reporter) Could it include civil airports as well?

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) We don't have any of those locations yet, because those negotiations between the United States and Japan haven't occurred yet.

(Reporter) In ACE concept, how important is it to collaborate with the JSDF? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I think it’s extremely important. I mentioned the asymmetric advantage that we have as our alliances, but that only is possible if we’re able to integrate operate together. Anytime we can do training together and we can have some common standards of how we’re doing things, that’s going to be beneficial for us when we have to call on those, those skills in a combat situation. 

(Reporter) When you do this ACE operation, what are the challenges that you need to overcome?

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) There are many. One is having airmen being capable of doing multiple tasks, some of which are outside of their current Air Force Specialty Code, which is why the MCA train that you saw is designed to allow them to go outside of their skill sets. So that’s part of it.  And I think there’s an effectiveness and efficiency part of having airplanes located at one large location. When you start spreading those out, that starts complicating yours to be effective and efficient. But the activities It is to be able to do that. So that’s why we got to work on it. So we can make sure that we have the experience and capability to do that when called upon. 

(Reporter) As for ACE operation maybe some people might complain that it can be like doing more with less. What do you think about that? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I think it could be true that way. But I think it’s really a necessity of what we have to do based on the strategic environment that we’re facing. There, there are probably other solutions. But I can tell you, you know, we don’t have just tons of airmen in the bullpen, and tons of money in the background that we can just throw at the problem. We have to try to tackle it with the airmen that I’ve given here today. 

Retirement of F-15

(Reporter)  When the US air force announced the retirement of the F15. It sparked controversy over its strategic implication. Someone pointed out that it sent the wrong message to China. What do you think about it?

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I wouldn’t focus on the divestment of the United States and our alliance has a long reassurance by presence and deterrence by presence. As we’re drawing down some of the oldest fighters in the United States Air Force. We are currently deploying frontline 5th-generation fighters from around the world to maintain the same level of capacity and current coverage that we have today. And then at the end, we’re going to have a long-term solution where we bring a permanent fighter in here as presence to maintain and uphold our agreement in the Alliance. 

(Reporter) As for the long-term solution, can you give us any update or timeline?

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) The United States Air Force is currently working on what that replacement airplane is. I don’t know what it is yet. Certainly, I can’t wait to hear that and we’ll be happy to announce that as soon as we can.

(Reporter) As for F-35s and other fighter jets that are here right now, some local people claim that the noise level has gotten worse, maybe because of the structure of the aircraft itself or maybe because of the rotation pilots flying differently. How would you respond to these opinions?

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I think, first of all, we operate with our local operating procedures or standard operating procedures all our aircraft are required to do that, and also in accordance with the agreement that we have with the host nation in order to try to minimize the impact that we have on the local community and then on the different noises that you’re talking about. Every airplane has a different acoustic signature. And so I think the different sounds are certainly something that they’re hearing that’s a little bit different but in terms of procedurally, they shouldn’t be operating differently than the F-15 teams that have been here for a number of years. 

(Reporter) Could you explain more about how these fighter jets like F-35 and F-22 are different from legacy fighter jets like F-15s? Why do they cause different types of sound? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) They all have different shapes. So how they move to the air, the air moves in a different way than it does on a different airframe. They also have different engines. And so the airplane will take in air and a different way because there are different moldings of the intakes. And then of course, it comes out in the exhaust in a different way because it’s compressed in different ways that produce different types of thrust. So they’re all unique.  And so we can sit right here in my office. And Aeroplan can fly by, and I can almost tell you to 100% That’s an F16. That’s an F22. That’s an F15. That’s an E3. Because they all have a very unique acoustic sound. 

Local community's feeling

(Reporter) Regarding the decision to build the maintenance hangars at Kadena Air Base, there is a huge sense of disappointment among the local people. Why are these hangers necessary and how are you going to respond to people’s concern that it might cause noise and air pollution? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) So our mission here is to maintain ready, lethal, and uphold our commitment to the alliance. In order to do that we need to make sure we have good infrastructure that can maintain our airplanes. And I don’t really want to comment too much on the way the local community feels about that.  But I assure you it’s nothing more than making sure that we’re investing in our infrastructure. So we continue to stay ready and be ready for contingency. 

(Reporter) Besides these hangars, are we going to see any upgrades or changes at Kadena in the coming years? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin) I don’t think you’re gonna see a different operation at Kadena. I think how we’re training. We’re involved in there a little bit to make sure that we’re incorporating ace concepts and almost everything we do. But I think if you’re just looking at us from the outside, you won’t see much of a difference at all at Kadena I think. 

(Reporter)  Some point out that the Kadena Air Base needs to harden the shelters. What do you think about it? 

(Brig.Gen. Eaglin)  I think Well, I think Kadena is probably more strategically important today than it has probably ever been its history. And we would welcome anything that would make the base more lethal and ready. Of course, that is not up to me. It’s going to be up to US Congress to allocate some of those funds to do those things, but we would certainly welcome that.