Yokota Air Base
| Yokota Air Base | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Characteristics | |
| ICAO code | RJTY |
| IATA code | ECO |
| Coordinates | |
| Height above MSL | 141 m (463 ft ) |
| Transport links | |
| Distance from the city center | 1 km east of Fussa |
| Basic data | |
| opening | September 1945 (USA) |
| operator | United States Air Force |
| surface | 710 ha |
| Start-and runway | |
| 18/36 | 3353 m × 61 m concrete |
The Yokota Air Base (in short: Yokota AB ; Jap. 横田飛行場 , Yokota-hikōjō ) is an air base of the US Air Force on the Japanese main island of Honshu near Fussa , around 35 kilometers west of Tokyo .
The base, which covers an area of around 710 hectares , has a runway around 3,350 meters long. Around 3,400 military personnel were working on the base at the end of 2005. It is managed by the 374th Air Transport Squadron of the 5th Air Fleet of the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and is also the headquarters of the 5th Air Fleet and the United States Forces Japan (USFJ). C-21 , C-130 Hercules and UH-1N aircraft are stationed in Yokota . There is also a branch of the American Forces Network (AFN Tokyo), a military hospital and the NSA's Pacific Technical Center (PTC) on the premises.
history
The Imperial Japanese Army operated an airfield near Yokota, known as Tama Airfield and Fussa Airfield , since March 1940 during World War II . Tests of new aircraft and training of maintenance personnel took place here. After the capitulation of Japan , the 1st Cavalry Division of the US Forces took over the base on September 4, 1945 and named it Yokota Army Airfield from September 23, 1945 . The US military initially used it until the end of the year for air transport missions with the C-46 Commando . After eight months of renovation, the base reopened as Yokota Army Airbase on August 15, 1946 and was called Yokota Air Force Base from September 26, 1947 . From July 16 to 17, 1952, 58 Republic F-84 flew from Turner Air Force Base in Georgia over the Pacific with stopovers on several islands to Yokota Air Force Base to reinforce the US Air Force in the Korean War .
On November 17, 1955, the base was given its current name Yokota Air Base . Over the years, Yokota has served as a base for various U.S. Air Force fighter jets and bombers, including the B-29 Superfortress , B-57 Canberra , P-51 Mustang, and F-102 Delta Dagger .
During the Vietnam War , Yokota played an important role in air transport to and from the war zone. In 1971 the USAF moved its combat units to the other Japanese bases at Kadena Air Base and Misawa Air Base , and Yokota became the Pacific hub for strategic air transport for the US Air Force. In the fall of 1974, the headquarters of the USFJ and the 5th Air Fleet moved from Fuchu Air Station to Yokota. On April 1, 1992, the 374th PACAF air transport squadron took over the management of the site. Its main transport squadron is the 36th Airlift Squadron , which is equipped with the C-130 (until 2017 C-130H, since then C-130J). The squadron also operates a helicopter squadron.
Web links
- Website of Yokota AB (English)