US uses microgrid to strengthen defenses at Yokota Air Base.

Under one of the Pentagon's biggest contracts for base "hardening," Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo now has an independent power grid constructed by the U.S. Air Force that allows the base to enter "island mode" in the event that a cyberattack or missile destroys its primary energy source.

To mark the completion of a 10-megawatt combined heat-and-power (CHP) plant and microgrid, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was performed on Friday. Under the terms of the $406 million contract, Schneider Electric, a French energy management business, was given four years to install the facility. Over the course of the following 21 years, Schneider plans to station personnel at the base in order to guarantee uninterrupted energy provision.

As China improves its missile capability, "base hardening" is becoming more and more important for national security. American bases in Japan, including the U.S. headquarters in Yokota and the U.S. 7th Fleet's location in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture, are prime targets for enemies in the event of a future confrontation.

The idea, which is referred to as passive defense, entails guarding "communication lines, fuel lines, munition and fuel depots, and aircraft shelters," according to senior political scientist Jeffrey Hornung of RAND Corp. "Passive defenses can also refer to runway repair capabilities or even decoys," he stated.

The microgrid automatically switches to the natural gas-powered CHP plant when it detects a power outage from the primary energy source, which is supplied by a Japanese utility company outside the base.

The base's capacity to enter "island mode" and function independently is a crucial idea, according to James Potach, senior vice president of energy and sustainability services at Schneider.