This is a list of installations operated by the United States Air Force located within the United States and abroad. Locations where the Air Force have a notable presence but do not operate the facility are also listed.
The location and number of US Air Force installations has fluctuated according to the size of the Air Force, the capabilities of available weapon systems, and the strategies contemplated for their employment. The number of active duty Air Force Bases within the United States rose from 115 in 1947 to peak at 162 in 1956 before declining to 69 in 2003 and 59 in 2020. This change reflects a Cold War expansion, retirement of much of the strategic bomber force, and the post–Cold War draw-down. Over time, the USAF has constantly realigned its forces within the network of bases to reflect current needs and strategies. [1]
The Air Force use several terms to identify the different type of installations it operates: [2]
Active duty Installations are normally named after notable Air Force personnel, whereas Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard installations are either named in the same manner or after the community in which they are located.
Installations and locations in the contiguous United States. For Alaska and Hawaii see Pacific, East Asia and South East Asia section.
Active-duty USAF bases in the United States are under the jurisdiction of the following Major Commands. There are 57 Active Bases across the country: [3]
Air National Guard units are a reserve military force composed of state Air National Guard members or federally recognized units and report to the governor of their respective state, territory ( Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands) or the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. Each of the 54 Air National Guard organizations is supervised by the adjutant general of the state or territory, [72] Air Force Reserve units are aligned under Fourth Air Force, Tenth Air Force and Twenty-Second Air Force of the Air Force Reserve Command. The command has Fighter, Air Refueling and Airlift units, and is administratively responsible for all the Air Force's individual mobilization augmentees. [73]
US Air Force operations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America are overseen by the Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern). It is part of Air Combat Command and head-quartered at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona. It is the air component to US Southern Command, providing security-cooperation and air & cyberspace capabilities throughout its area of responsibility. [183]
Name | Location | Coordinates | Unit Emblem | Unit Designation | Notes/Mission |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base | Cuba | 19°54′0″N 75°9′0″W / 19.90000°N 75.15000°W | 474th Air Expeditionary Squadron | Geographically Separate Unit of the 474th Air Expeditionary Group, supporting Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO). [184] | |
Hato International Airport | Curaçao | 12°11′20″N 068°57′35″W / 12.18889°N 68.95972°W | 429th Expeditionary Operations Squadron | Forward Operating Location made available to the US by the Dutch government. Geographically Separate Unit of the 612th Theater Operation Group, supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF South) counter-drug operations. [185] | |
Muñiz Air National Guard Base | Puerto Rico | 18°26′22″N 066°00′07″W / 18.43944°N 66.00194°W | 156th Wing | Airfield shared with Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. The 156th Wing is a component of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard and operates the WC-130H Hercules. [186] | |
Punta Borinquen Radar Station | Puerto Rico | 18°29′6″N 67°8′56″W / 18.48500°N 67.14889°W | 141st Air Control Squadron | A Geographically Separate Unit of the 156th Operations Group, 156th Wing; the 141st Air Control Squadron is a mobile radar command, control, and communications element of the U.S. Air Force Theater Air Control System. Adjacent to former Ramey AFB (the former base itself is now Rafael Hernandez International Airport). The 141st Air Control Squadron is a component of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. [187] | |
Punta Salinas Air National Guard Station | Puerto Rico | 18°22′30″N 066°15′42″W / 18.37500°N 66.26167°W | 156th Operations Group | A Geographically Separate Unit of the 156th Wing, the 156th Operations Group operates the combat communications and Host Nation Rider mission. The 156th Operations Group is a component of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. [188] | |
Queen Beatrix International Airport | Aruba | 12°30′05″N 70°00′55″W / 12.50139°N 70.01528°W | 429th Expeditionary Operations Squadron | Forward Operating Location made available to the US by the Dutch government. Geographically Separate Unit of the 612th Theater Operation Group, supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF South) counter-drug operations. [185] | |
Soto Cano Air Base | Honduras | 14°22′57″N 087°37′16″W / 14.38250°N 87.62111°W | 612th Air Base Squadron | Forward Operating Location made available to the US by the Honduras Government. Geographically Separate Unit of the 612th Theater Operation Group, supporting Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-B). [189] | |
St Croix Air National Guard Station | United States Virgin Islands | 17°42′24.2″N 64°48′01.9″W / 17.706722°N 64.800528°W | 285th Civil Engineering Squadron | Non-flying station of the Virgin Islands Air National Guard. [190] |
PACAF's primary mission is to provide U.S. Pacific Command integrated expeditionary Air Force capabilities to defend the Homeland, promote stability, dissuade/deter aggression, and swiftly defeat enemies. PACAF traces its roots to the activation of Far East Air Forces, 3 August 1944, at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It consisted of three numbered air forces—5th, 7th and 13th—which were supporting combat operations in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) is a major command of the US Air Force and a component command of both US European Command (USEUCOM) and US Africa Command (USAFRICOM). The USAFE-AFAFRICA area of responsibility covers Europe, parts of Asia and all of Africa with the exception of Egypt, to achieve US national and NATO objectives based on taskings by the two combatant commanders. [214]
USAFE-AFAFRICA has seven main operating bases and 114 geographically separate units. [214] Although Akrotiri is within the USAFE-AFAFRICA area of responsibility, the units there are under the control of other major commands.
US Air Force operations in the Middle East, Central Asia and part of South Asia are overseen by US Air Forces Central Command (USAFCENT). It is part of Air Combat Command and head-quartered at Shaw AFB in South Carolina. It is the air component to US Central Command, with a mission to deliver air power for the security and stability of the region. The USAFCENT area of responsibility covers Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. [257]
Throughout the 2010s, USAFCENT has supported the military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( Operation Inherent Resolve) and the NATO-led train, advise and assist mission in Afghanistan ( Operation Resolute Support).
Name | Location | Coordinates | Unit Emblem | Host Wing or Primary Unit | Notes/Mission |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abdullah Al Mubarak Air Base (Cargo City) | Kuwait | 29°13′36″N 047°58′48″E / 29.22667°N 47.98000°E | 387th Air Expeditionary Group | Geographically Separate Unit of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. Operates the Theater Logistics Gateway in support of operations in the Middle East. [258] | |
Al Dhafra Air Base | United Arab Emirates | 24°14′53″N 054°32′51″E / 24.24806°N 54.54750°E |
|
380th Air Expeditionary Wing | Main Operating Base made available to the US by the United Arab Emirates government. The 380th AEW provides air combat, aerial refueling and reconnaissance aircraft in the US Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Resolute Support. [259] |
Al Udeid Air Base | Qatar | 25°07′02″N 051°18′53″E / 25.11722°N 51.31472°E |
|
379th Air Expeditionary Wing |
Main Operating Base made available to the US by the Qatari government. The 379th AEW is the largest expeditionary wing in the USAF and provides a wide range of combat air power and combat support for Operations Inherent Resolve and Resolute Support and Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa. The base is the forward headquarters of US Central Command and home to the Combined Air Operations Center which co-ordinates operations in the Middle East. [260] |
Ali Al Salem Air Base | Kuwait | 29°20′48″N 047°31′14″E / 29.34667°N 47.52056°E | 386th Air Expeditionary Wing | Main Operating Base made available to the US by the Kuwaiti government. The 386th AEW provides tactical airlift and combat service support for operations throughout the Middle East. [261] | |
Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base | Kuwait | 28°56′05.7″N 47°47′31.3″E / 28.934917°N 47.792028°E | 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing | Main Operating Base made available to the US by the Kuwaiti government. Supports operations throughout the Middle East. [262] | |
Muwaffaq Salti Air Base | Jordan | 31°50′03″N 036°47′14″E / 31.83417°N 36.78722°E | 407th Air Expeditionary Group | Air Base made available to the US by the Jordanian government hosting a Geographically Separate Unit of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing supporting operations throughout the Middle East. [263] | |
Prince Sultan Air Base | Saudi Arabia | 24°03′19″N 047°33′49″E / 24.05528°N 47.56361°E | 378th Air Expeditionary Wing | Main Operating Base made available to the US by the Saudi government. Supports operations throughout the Middle East. [264] |
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
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This is a list of installations operated by the United States Air Force located within the United States and abroad. Locations where the Air Force have a notable presence but do not operate the facility are also listed.
The location and number of US Air Force installations has fluctuated according to the size of the Air Force, the capabilities of available weapon systems, and the strategies contemplated for their employment. The number of active duty Air Force Bases within the United States rose from 115 in 1947 to peak at 162 in 1956 before declining to 69 in 2003 and 59 in 2020. This change reflects a Cold War expansion, retirement of much of the strategic bomber force, and the post–Cold War draw-down. Over time, the USAF has constantly realigned its forces within the network of bases to reflect current needs and strategies. [1]
The Air Force use several terms to identify the different type of installations it operates: [2]
Active duty Installations are normally named after notable Air Force personnel, whereas Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard installations are either named in the same manner or after the community in which they are located.
Installations and locations in the contiguous United States. For Alaska and Hawaii see Pacific, East Asia and South East Asia section.
Active-duty USAF bases in the United States are under the jurisdiction of the following Major Commands. There are 57 Active Bases across the country: [3]
Air National Guard units are a reserve military force composed of state Air National Guard members or federally recognized units and report to the governor of their respective state, territory ( Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands) or the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. Each of the 54 Air National Guard organizations is supervised by the adjutant general of the state or territory, [72] Air Force Reserve units are aligned under Fourth Air Force, Tenth Air Force and Twenty-Second Air Force of the Air Force Reserve Command. The command has Fighter, Air Refueling and Airlift units, and is administratively responsible for all the Air Force's individual mobilization augmentees. [73]
US Air Force operations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America are overseen by the Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern). It is part of Air Combat Command and head-quartered at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona. It is the air component to US Southern Command, providing security-cooperation and air & cyberspace capabilities throughout its area of responsibility. [183]
Name | Location | Coordinates | Unit Emblem | Unit Designation | Notes/Mission |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base | Cuba | 19°54′0″N 75°9′0″W / 19.90000°N 75.15000°W | 474th Air Expeditionary Squadron | Geographically Separate Unit of the 474th Air Expeditionary Group, supporting Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO). [184] | |
Hato International Airport | Curaçao | 12°11′20″N 068°57′35″W / 12.18889°N 68.95972°W | 429th Expeditionary Operations Squadron | Forward Operating Location made available to the US by the Dutch government. Geographically Separate Unit of the 612th Theater Operation Group, supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF South) counter-drug operations. [185] | |
Muñiz Air National Guard Base | Puerto Rico | 18°26′22″N 066°00′07″W / 18.43944°N 66.00194°W | 156th Wing | Airfield shared with Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. The 156th Wing is a component of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard and operates the WC-130H Hercules. [186] | |
Punta Borinquen Radar Station | Puerto Rico | 18°29′6″N 67°8′56″W / 18.48500°N 67.14889°W | 141st Air Control Squadron | A Geographically Separate Unit of the 156th Operations Group, 156th Wing; the 141st Air Control Squadron is a mobile radar command, control, and communications element of the U.S. Air Force Theater Air Control System. Adjacent to former Ramey AFB (the former base itself is now Rafael Hernandez International Airport). The 141st Air Control Squadron is a component of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. [187] | |
Punta Salinas Air National Guard Station | Puerto Rico | 18°22′30″N 066°15′42″W / 18.37500°N 66.26167°W | 156th Operations Group | A Geographically Separate Unit of the 156th Wing, the 156th Operations Group operates the combat communications and Host Nation Rider mission. The 156th Operations Group is a component of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. [188] | |
Queen Beatrix International Airport | Aruba | 12°30′05″N 70°00′55″W / 12.50139°N 70.01528°W | 429th Expeditionary Operations Squadron | Forward Operating Location made available to the US by the Dutch government. Geographically Separate Unit of the 612th Theater Operation Group, supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF South) counter-drug operations. [185] | |
Soto Cano Air Base | Honduras | 14°22′57″N 087°37′16″W / 14.38250°N 87.62111°W | 612th Air Base Squadron | Forward Operating Location made available to the US by the Honduras Government. Geographically Separate Unit of the 612th Theater Operation Group, supporting Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-B). [189] | |
St Croix Air National Guard Station | United States Virgin Islands | 17°42′24.2″N 64°48′01.9″W / 17.706722°N 64.800528°W | 285th Civil Engineering Squadron | Non-flying station of the Virgin Islands Air National Guard. [190] |
PACAF's primary mission is to provide U.S. Pacific Command integrated expeditionary Air Force capabilities to defend the Homeland, promote stability, dissuade/deter aggression, and swiftly defeat enemies. PACAF traces its roots to the activation of Far East Air Forces, 3 August 1944, at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It consisted of three numbered air forces—5th, 7th and 13th—which were supporting combat operations in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) is a major command of the US Air Force and a component command of both US European Command (USEUCOM) and US Africa Command (USAFRICOM). The USAFE-AFAFRICA area of responsibility covers Europe, parts of Asia and all of Africa with the exception of Egypt, to achieve US national and NATO objectives based on taskings by the two combatant commanders. [214]
USAFE-AFAFRICA has seven main operating bases and 114 geographically separate units. [214] Although Akrotiri is within the USAFE-AFAFRICA area of responsibility, the units there are under the control of other major commands.
US Air Force operations in the Middle East, Central Asia and part of South Asia are overseen by US Air Forces Central Command (USAFCENT). It is part of Air Combat Command and head-quartered at Shaw AFB in South Carolina. It is the air component to US Central Command, with a mission to deliver air power for the security and stability of the region. The USAFCENT area of responsibility covers Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. [257]
Throughout the 2010s, USAFCENT has supported the military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( Operation Inherent Resolve) and the NATO-led train, advise and assist mission in Afghanistan ( Operation Resolute Support).
Name | Location | Coordinates | Unit Emblem | Host Wing or Primary Unit | Notes/Mission |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abdullah Al Mubarak Air Base (Cargo City) | Kuwait | 29°13′36″N 047°58′48″E / 29.22667°N 47.98000°E | 387th Air Expeditionary Group | Geographically Separate Unit of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. Operates the Theater Logistics Gateway in support of operations in the Middle East. [258] | |
Al Dhafra Air Base | United Arab Emirates | 24°14′53″N 054°32′51″E / 24.24806°N 54.54750°E |
|
380th Air Expeditionary Wing | Main Operating Base made available to the US by the United Arab Emirates government. The 380th AEW provides air combat, aerial refueling and reconnaissance aircraft in the US Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Resolute Support. [259] |
Al Udeid Air Base | Qatar | 25°07′02″N 051°18′53″E / 25.11722°N 51.31472°E |
|
379th Air Expeditionary Wing |
Main Operating Base made available to the US by the Qatari government. The 379th AEW is the largest expeditionary wing in the USAF and provides a wide range of combat air power and combat support for Operations Inherent Resolve and Resolute Support and Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa. The base is the forward headquarters of US Central Command and home to the Combined Air Operations Center which co-ordinates operations in the Middle East. [260] |
Ali Al Salem Air Base | Kuwait | 29°20′48″N 047°31′14″E / 29.34667°N 47.52056°E | 386th Air Expeditionary Wing | Main Operating Base made available to the US by the Kuwaiti government. The 386th AEW provides tactical airlift and combat service support for operations throughout the Middle East. [261] | |
Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base | Kuwait | 28°56′05.7″N 47°47′31.3″E / 28.934917°N 47.792028°E | 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing | Main Operating Base made available to the US by the Kuwaiti government. Supports operations throughout the Middle East. [262] | |
Muwaffaq Salti Air Base | Jordan | 31°50′03″N 036°47′14″E / 31.83417°N 36.78722°E | 407th Air Expeditionary Group | Air Base made available to the US by the Jordanian government hosting a Geographically Separate Unit of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing supporting operations throughout the Middle East. [263] | |
Prince Sultan Air Base | Saudi Arabia | 24°03′19″N 047°33′49″E / 24.05528°N 47.56361°E | 378th Air Expeditionary Wing | Main Operating Base made available to the US by the Saudi government. Supports operations throughout the Middle East. [264] |
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)