Okuma Airfield

Military operational changes and technological obsolescence. The airfield was built to support light, Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) aircraft. As the U.S. military's use of helicopters for logistics, troop transport, and medical evacuation in jungle environments became standard, the need for a fixed runway in this remote location diminished. Helicopters offered greater flexibility, being able to land in small, unprepared clearings, rendering the airstrip redundant for the needs of the Jungle Warfare Training Center.

The site is no longer a functional airfield. Satellite imagery shows the faint but clear outline of the original runway, which is now unpaved and covered with grass and low vegetation. The area is an active part of the Jungle Warfare Training Center. The former runway has been repurposed and is now used as a helicopter landing zone (LZ), a staging area for training exercises, a potential airdrop zone, and a bivouac site for troops undergoing jungle survival and warfare training.

Okuma Airfield, also known as Okuma Auxiliary Airfield, was a small military airstrip constructed by U.S. forces in Okinawa following World War II. It was located within what is now the U.S. Marine Corps' Jungle Warfare Training Center (JWTC) at Camp Gonsalves, the largest U.S. military installation in Okinawa by land area. The airfield's primary role was logistical. It supported the remote training facility by enabling the operation of light observation and transport aircraft for supplies, personnel movement, and, crucially, medical evacuations from the rugged, jungle terrain. It was never a major airbase but was a vital support element for the unique training operations conducted there before helicopters dominated that role.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Okuma Airfield. The site is located deep within a critical and active U.S. military training area. Its remote location, surrounding mountainous terrain, and the current military doctrine favoring helicopters make its reactivation as a fixed-wing airfield highly improbable for either military or civilian purposes. Any change to its status would be contingent on the broader U.S.-Japan agreements regarding the return of military-used land in Okinawa, but this specific parcel is not a candidate for redevelopment as an airport.