After ADL and XYL Li Yao collected their respective national museums, they followed the system's markings of the flag-lined countries' military bases around the world.
After World War II, the military bases of the State of the Banner were almost all over the world, mainly considering geographical location and port fortifications to ensure that they could advance or retreat at will during wartime.
To this day, the United States maintains 374 overseas military bases in more than 140 countries and regions, with 300,000 troops stationed there.
The maritime chokepoints controlled by the Flag State include: the Gulf of Alaska, the Korea Strait, the Makassar Strait in Indonesia, the Sunda Strait, the Strait of Malacca, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal at the northern end.
The Strait of Gibraltar between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, the Florida Straits north of Cuba, the shipping route from the southern tip of Africa to North America, and the Greenland-Iceland-Eagle Country route.
From a strategic perspective, the distribution of the flag state's overseas military bases can be divided into 3 strategic zones and 14 base clusters.
The three strategic regions are Europe, the Middle East and North Africa; Asia, the Pacific and Indian Ocean; and North and South America.
The Central European Base Cluster includes:
Army bases: Stuttgart, D (headquarters of the Flag and Stripes Army in Europe), Heidelberg (known as Camp Bell, headquarters of the Flag and Stripes Army in Europe).
Würzburg (base of the 1st Armored Infantry Division of the Army with Stripes), Bad Kreuznach (base of the 1st Armored Division of the Army with Stripes).
Air Force Bases: Ramstein (headquarters of U.S. European Air Forces), Spangdalhem, Seinbach, Rhine-Main, etc., Germany;
Sosterborg, Netherlands; Chievres, Belgium.
Southern European Bases: This region controls access to the Black Sea and the eastern Mediterranean, serving as a bulwark for Europe's southern flank. It includes:
Army bases: Vicenza (headquarters of the Flag Army Southern Europe Task Force) and Livorno (Army logistics supply port) of YDL.
Naval bases: YDL Naples (headquarters of the Flags European Naval Command), Gaeta (headquarters of the Flags 6th Fleet), Maddalena (nuclear submarine support base), Sigonella (anti-submarine warfare and logistics support base), and SL Souza Bay.
Air Force Bases: Aviano, YDL (headquarters of the 16th Air Force of the Flags Air Force); Heraklion, Greece.
The Middle East, West Asia and North Africa base cluster: This region spans three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. It controls the Persian Gulf to the east, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the south, the Eastern Mediterranean to the west, and the Black Sea straits to the north.
On land, it can control the Middle East and North Africa; at sea, it can reach the Mediterranean Sea to the east and the Indian Ocean to the west. Flag Army bases and facilities in the region are located in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, and Kenya.
Naval bases: Jubail, Saudi Arabia; Manama, Bahrain (home of the Flag Middle East Naval Command and the U.S. 5th Fleet); Ras Barnas, Egypt; Mombasa, Kenya.
Air Force bases: Incherlik, Ankara, and Izmir in Turkey; Dhahran in Saudi Arabia.
In addition, the Banner Army has an airport on Mahira Island in Oman for joint use by the navy and air force.
Western European base cluster (including two major secondary base clusters): This region controls the shipping lanes from the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea and the Mediterranean, and can provide emergency reinforcements to regional conflicts in Central Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.
It serves as an intermediate base between its bases in Central Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and North Africa, and its bases in the homeland of the Flag State. Flag State bases in this region are located in the United Kingdom, Iceland, Spain, Portugal, and the Portuguese Azores.
Naval bases: Rota, Spain (main base of the Flag Navy's 6th Fleet); Keflavik, Iceland (for joint naval and air force use);
Air Force Bases: Mildenhall (headquarters of the 3rd Air Force of the Flagstaff), Lakenheath, Alcumbury; Morón, Spain.
In addition, the Lajesh base in the Azores is used jointly by the navy and air force.
The Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions hold significant strategic value for the State of the Flag State; therefore, the number of its overseas bases in this region is second only to Europe, accounting for approximately 42.7% of the total number of its overseas bases, comprising seven base clusters.
The Alaskan base complex: This base complex can exert pressure on the northeastern corner of Eurasia, guard the Bering Strait, and control the air routes into Eurasia via the Arctic Circle.
The main bases of the Banner Army in the region are:
Elmendorf Air Force Base: Located in Anchorage, southern Alaska, it is home to the 11th Air Force of the United States Air Force, with 7,000 personnel and equipment including F-22 Raptor fighters, F-15 fighters, E-3 early warning aircraft, C-130 transport aircraft, and C-17 transport aircraft. The runway is 3,000 meters long. The mission of the United States Air Force at this base is to provide air defense and air superiority over Alaska, while also supporting various contingency operations within the Pacific Command's area of responsibility.
Ellison Air Force Base: Located in central Alaska, approximately 46 kilometers from Fairbanks. It houses the 354th Fighter Wing of the Flagstaff Pacific Air Forces, with 2,700 active-duty Air Force personnel, equipped with F-16 fighter jets and A-1 attack aircraft, and possesses a 4,400-meter runway. The base's mission is close air support and air interception.
Northeast Asia Base Cluster: The bases in this region are located in Japan and South Korea. These bases control the Soya Strait, Tsugaru Strait and Tsushima Strait, which can respond to land warfare on the Korean Peninsula and naval warfare in the Northwest Pacific, forming the most important link in the "island chain".
Naval Bases: The State of the Banner Navy has over 30 ports in Northeast Asia, either permanently stationed or usable in wartime, capable of accommodating over 1,300 ships of various types with a total displacement of approximately 9.3 million tons. The most important bases include:
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com