List_of_former_United_States_Air_Force_installations

List of former United States Air Force installations

List of former United States Air Force installations

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This is a list of former United States Air Force installations.

For current United States Air Force installations, see List of United States Air Force installations.

Does not include United States Army Air Forces facilities closed before September 1947.[1]

United States

For radar stations in the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), Iceland and Canada, see List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations.
See: North Warning System for a list of contractor-operated Distant Early Warning Line (DEW) radar stations in Greenland (Denmark), Canada and Alaska.
For a list of contractor-operated communications sites in Alaska, see List of White Alice Communications System sites.
See: Eastern Test Range for Air Force Auxiliary Bases established to support missile and rocket launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station during the 1950s and early 1960s.
More information Installation name, Location ...

Central America and Caribbean

Panama

Puerto Rico

Portion transferred to United States Coast Guard
Renamed CGAS Borinquen (Active)

Europe/Mediterranean/North Atlantic

Includes bases in North Africa and the United Kingdom used by Strategic Air Command and bases used by the United States Air Forces in Europe (after 1947). Non-flying minor Air Stations not included.

Belgium/The Netherlands

Used as BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile base, 1984–1989
Planned BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile base (Closed 1988, never made active)

Eastern Europe

Air Bases in Bulgaria and Romania negotiated by diplomatic agreements for USAF use not included

France

Austria/Germany

Includes Occupied Austria (1945–1955), Occupied Germany (1947–1949); West Germany (1949–1990), and Occupied Berlin (West Berlin) (1947–1990)

Iceland

Denmark (Greenland)

Mediterranean

Newfoundland

United Kingdom

Lend-Lease bases

Caribbean Lend-Lease bases inactivated in 1949, however 99-year lease signed in 1940 remains in effect, United States has right of return until 2039.[1]

Southwest and Central Asia

Only bases publicly disclosed by United States Air Forces Central listed. Current status is undetermined unless noted.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

Arabian Peninsula

For the USAF order of battle during the 1991 Gulf War, see Organization of United States Air Force Units in the Gulf War.

Central Asia

Note: Former Soviet Air Forces bases[26] **

Iraq

Seized Iraqi air bases not used by the United States:

Note: Former Iraqi Air Force "Super Base" designation was given to airfields with numerous above-ground hardened aircraft-shelters and underground facilities that could shelter between four and ten aircraft on average. During Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, the Iraqi Air Force essentially stood down except in a few cases of self-defence against US and British air strikes. Despite their size – or exactly because of it – most of these airfields were barely defended in 2003 and with a few exceptions, the "Super Base" facilities were captured intact with very little damage.

Most Iraqi Air Force aircraft in various conditions from being flyable to abandoned hulks (a large number were buried) were seized by the United States and its coalition partners, however it is known that Syrian and Iranian agents were busy removing radars and items from the avionics bays and cockpits. By autumn 2004 only some 20–25 unserviceable wrecks of Iraqi aircraft and helicopters were left scattered around the many Iraqi airfields. The destruction of the Iraqi Air Force was probably one of the most complete such actions in the history of military aviation.

Although most of the former "Super Bases" have been de-militarized and today are abandoned facilities being reclaimed by the desert, a few were refurbished and were subsequently used by Army, Air Force and Marine units. They may form the organization of a new Iraqi Air Force equipped with surplus United States F-16, C-130 and other light aircraft.[27][28] [29]

Western Pacific

See Far East Air Force Korean airfields (K-sites) for airfields established in the Korean Peninsula during the Korean War (1950–1953)
See Southeast Asia section for USAF bases used during the Vietnam War (1960–1976)

* In 1992 the US government changed the status of three US air bases in South Korea. Kwang Ju Air Base, Suwon Air Base and Taegu Air Base had previously been announced as ending operations, but would instead operate at reduced levels. 15 USAF personnel were assigned to each base, and reside in former officer quarters, which was basically a small apartment. USAF aircraft transit each base, with the personnel providing transient support and maintain USAF equipment stored at each base in case of an emergency for reactivation in which ACC and other units would deploy to them. In addition, the ROK use the airfields as an air base and civil airport.

Taiwan

Note: As part of a mutual defense pact, the Republic of China (Taiwan) permitted United States forces, to utilize many ROC bases between 1957–1979. Deployments ended in 1979 as part of the drawdown of United States military forces in Asia after the end of the Vietnam War and the United States' transfer of diplomatic relations from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the People's Republic of China in 1979. For more information, see United States Taiwan Defense Command and 327th Air Division.

Southeast Asia

** Note: Although active USAF use at U-Tapao ended in 1976, USAF and other DoD personnel have been temporarily deployed to the base for contingency operations in South Asia in the years since. Also U-Tapao supports various Foreign Military Sales in South Asia and DoD military personnel assigned to United States diplomatic postings in the region.

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

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