Naha Air Base
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This article's introduction may be too long for its overall length. (October 2011) |
| Naha Air Base | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| PACAF 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-102 interceptors on the flight line, 1966 | |||
| IATA: OKA – ICAO: ROAH | |||
| 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°ECoordinates: 26°11′45″N 127°38′45″E / 26.19583°N 127.64583°E | ||
| Map | |||
 ROAH
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 18/36 | 3,000 | 9,843 | Asphalt |
| Source: Japanese AIP at AIS Japan[1] | |||
Naha Air Base is an air base 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 World War II 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 installation under the operational control of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and was known as Naha Air Base. Major USAF units assigned to Naha AB 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: 483rd Troop Carrier Wing (1958-1960); 315th Air Division (1960 - 1963) 6315th Operations Group (1963-1966); 374th Tactical Airlift Wing (1966 - 1971)
- 35th Troop Carrier Squadron (315th Air Division), 8 January 1963-8 August 1966, (C-130 Hercules)
- 817th Troop Carrier Squadron (315th Air Division), 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 [edit]
References [edit]
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
