Taoyuan Air Base  _Logo.svg){kind=logo} 海軍桃園基地 | |||||||||||
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 F-104As of the83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Taoyuan Air Base in September 1958 | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Defunct | ||||||||||
| Operator | Taoyuan International Airport Corporation | ||||||||||
| Location | Taoyuan City,Taiwan | ||||||||||
| Opened | 1944 (1944) | ||||||||||
| Closed | 1 August 2013 (2013-08-01) | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 25°03′00″N121°13′59″E / 25.050°N 121.233°E /25.050; 121.233 | ||||||||||
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Taoyuan Air Base (ICAO:RCGM) was aRepublic of China Air Force base located inTaoyuan City,Taiwan, southeast ofTaipei's civilianTaoyuan International Airport. In 2007, the site was turned over to theRepublic of China Navy and was renamed toTaoyuan Naval Base.
The United States Air Force's44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron operating theF-86 Sabre was deployed here from 27 January to 17 February 1955 and again from 3–30 September 1955.[1]
In 1957 twoRB-57A reconnaissance aircraft of the6021st Reconnaissance Squadron were based here to take part in project Heartthrob missions over thePeople's Republic of China and these were later replaced byRB-57Ds operated as part of project Diamond Lil.[2]
On 10 September 1958, as part of the U.S. response to the1958 Quemoy Crisis, disassembledF-104A Starfighters of the83rd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron were airlifted byC-124s to Taoyuan where they were reassembled as part ofOperation Jonah Able. The first F-104A was operational 30 hours after arriving and by 19 September the entire squadron was operational.[3] On December 6, 1958, the men of the 83rd FIS were relieved by the men of the337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron under the command of Col.James Jabara and in March 1959 the F-104s were again disassembled and loaded aboard C-124s for return to the 83rd FIS atMcClellan Air Force Base.[4][3]: 24–5
TheBlack Cat Squadron flyingU-2 surveillance aircraft was based here from 1961 to 1974. The 5th/401st Tactical Combined Wing operating F-104 Starfighters and laterF-5s was also based here.
In November 1965 Li Xianbin (Chinese:李顯斌;pinyin:Lǐ Xiǎnbīn), adefecting Chinese pilot, landed hisIL-28/H-5 bomber here against the wishes of his navigator Li Caiwang (李才旺;Lǐ Cáiwàng) and tail gunner Lian Baosheng (廉保生;Lián Bǎoshēng). Lian committed suicide upon landing in Taiwan.[5]
Since 2013, the site has hosted theTaoyuan Land Art Festival [zh] (Chinese:桃園地景藝術節;pinyin:Táoyuán dì jǐng yìshù jié), featuring large sculptures from contemporary artists such asFlorentijn Hofman andZhang Huan.[6]
In 2014, after theChung Cheng Aviation Museum was closed to make way for construction at Taoyuan International Airport, the 18 aircraft displayed there were moved to Taoyuan Naval Base.[7]
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