Naha Air Base
Naha Air Base | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Serves | Naha, Okinawa, Japan | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 11 ft / 3 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 26°11′45″N 127°38′45″E / 26.19583°N 127.64583°E | ||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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Naha Air Base is an airbase of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. It was formerly under control of the United States Air Force. It is located at Naha Airport, Okinawa, Japan.
Naha Airfield was a wartime Imperial Japanese facility until it was captured by the Americans during the Battle of Okinawa on April 1, 1945. After the war, it became a major United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces installation known as Naha Air Base. Major USAF units assigned to Naha were:
- Headquarters, 301st Fighter Wing, 12 May 1947-20 January 1949
- 51st Fighter Group, 22 May 1947-22 September 1950
- 16th Fighter Squadron, 22 May 1947-22 September 1950 (F-80 Shooting Star)
- 25th Fighter Squadron, 22 May 1947-22 September 1950 (F-80 Shooting Star)
- 26th Fighter Squadron, 22 May 1947-22 September 1950 (F-80 Shooting Star)
- 4th Fighter (All-Weather) Squadron, 19 August 1948-16 February 1953 (P-61 Black Widow, F-82 Twin Mustang)
- Assigned to: 347th Fighter (later Fighter-All Weather) Group, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa
- Attached to: 51st Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor) Group), 19 August 1948
- Assigned to: Twentieth Air Force, June 24, 1950
- Attached to: 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, June 24, 1950
- Flight of 8 aircraft attached to 347th Provisional Fighter Group (All Weather), Itazuke Air Base, Japan, June 27 – July 5, 1950 for combat missions in Korea
- Attached to: 6302d Air Base Group, September 20, 1950
- Attached to: 6351st Air Base Wing, June 25, 1951–16 February 1953
- Attached to: 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, June 24, 1950
- Redesignated: 4th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (F-94 Starfire)
- Assigned to: 6351st Air Base Wing, 25 February-1 August 1954
- 6351st Air Base Wing, 22 September 1950-1 August 1954
- 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 1 August 1954-31 May 1971
- 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 August 1954-31 May 1971, (F-86 Sabre, F-102 Delta Dagger)
- 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 August 1954-8 June 1960, (F-86 Sabre)
- 26th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 August 1954-11 July 1955, (F-86 Sabre)
- 21st Troop Carrier (Tactical Airlift) Squadron 15 November 1958-31 May 1971, (C-119 Flying Boxcar, C-130 Hercules)
- Assigned to: 438th Troop Carrier Wing (1958-1960); 315th Air Division (1960 - 1966); 74th Tactical Airlift Wing (1966 - 1971) (all in detached status)
- 35th Troop Carrier Squadron (315th Air Division) (Detached), 8 January 1963-8 August 1966, (C-130 Hercules)
- 817th Troop Carrier Squadron (315th Air Division) (Detached), 25 June 1960-8 August 1966, (C-130 Hercules)
The USAF ended its use of Naha AB on 31 May 1971 and it was officially transferred to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in 1979. Naha AB currently hosts JASDF units flying modified F-15J/DJ fighter aircraft, Kawasaki T-4 trainers, UH-60J Black Hawk and CH-47J Chinook helicopters. Units of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force are also based at Naha, flying the P-3 Orion patrol aircraft. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Okinawa Prefectural Police, and the Japan Coast Guard also utilize facilities at Naha Airport.
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency