Part of Spangdahlem Air Base in 1990

An airbase (sometimes referred to as a military airfield, military airport, air force station or air force base) is an aerodrome used by a military force for the operation of military aircraft.

Airbase facilities[link]

An airbase typically has some facilities similar to a civilian airport - for example air traffic control and firefighting. Some military aerodromes have passenger facilities; for example RAF Brize Norton in England has a terminal used by passengers for the Royal Air Force's flights by TriStar to the Falkland Islands.

Many airbases are located remotely from populated areas.^{[citation needed]}

Some airbases have hardened aircraft shelters, or even underground hangars, to protect aircraft from enemy attack. Combat aircraft require storage of aircraft ordnance. An airbase may be defended by anti-aircraft weapons and force protection troops.

Road airbase[link]

Road airbases are highways constructed to double as auxiliary airbases in the event of war. Nations known to utilise this strategy are Sweden [1], Finland, Germany, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey and Poland. In the case of Finnish road airbases, the space needed for landing aircraft is reduced by means of an arrestor wire, similar to that used on some aircraft carriers.[2]

Aircraft carrier[link]

See also: Unsinkable aircraft carrier

An aircraft carrier is a type of naval ship which serves as a seaborne airbase, the development of which has greatly enhanced the capabilities of modern air forces. They are now a key part of the military, allowing for military aircraft to be staged much nearer the theatre of conflict. Aircraft carriers were vital to the United States during World War II and to the United Kingdom in the 1982 Falklands War.

See also[link]

Look up airbase or air base in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Military airbase

• Royal Air Force station
• List of Indian Air Force bases
• List of Royal Canadian Air Force stations
• List of United States Air Force installations
• List of Soviet Air Force bases
• Naming of military air bases