The United States Air Force has found itself in the middle of a new age of Great Power Competition. Now FlightGlobal has claimed: “Overseas air bases can no longer be counted on as safe harbors for American aircraft forward deployed to conflict zones.” This comes as the United States Air Force is building up its F-35As stationed in Japan while the Navy is replacing Super Hornets with F-35Cs on the USS George Washington (CVN-73) as it returns to Japan.