| Kadena Air Base | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō | |||||||||
| Kadena,Okinawa Prefecture in Japan | |||||||||
 AU.S. Air ForceE-3 Sentry from the961st Airborne Air Control Squadron taxis on the runway before take-off from Kadena Air Base in 2015. | |||||||||
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| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | U.S. Air Force Base | ||||||||
| Owner | Various (leased byGovernment of Japan and made available to the U.S.) | ||||||||
| Operator | U.S. Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) | ||||||||
| Status | Operational | ||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  Kadena AB  Kadena AB  Kadena AB  Kadena AB | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 26°21′06″N127°46′10″E / 26.35167°N 127.76944°E /26.35167; 127.76944 (Kadena AFB) | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1945 (1945) (as Yara Hikojo Airfield) | ||||||||
| In use | 1945 – present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander | Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans | ||||||||
| Garrison | 18th Wing (Host) | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: DNA,ICAO: RODN,WMO: 479310 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 43.6 metres (143 ft)AMSL | ||||||||
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| Other airfield facilities | 1xV/STOL pad | ||||||||
| Source:JapaneseAIP atAIS Japan[1] | |||||||||
Kadena Air Base (嘉手納飛行場,Kadena Hikōjō) (IATA:DNA,ICAO:RODN) is aUnited States Air Force base in the towns ofKadena andChatan and the city ofOkinawa, inOkinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific" because of its highly strategic location.[2] It is located 650 km (400 mi) off the coast ofChina and at a distance of 770 km (480 mi) fromShanghai, a major Chinese economic hub. It is home to the USAF's18th Wing, the353rd Special Operations Wing, reconnaissance units,1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, and a variety of associated units. Over 20,000 American servicemembers, family members, and Japanese employees live or work at Kadena Air Base.[3] It is the largest and most activeU.S. Air Force base in East Asia.[4]
Kadena Air Base's history dates back to just before theBattle of Okinawa in April 1945, when a local construction firm completed a small airfield namedYara Hikojo near the village of Kadena. The airfield, used by theImperial Japanese Army Air Force, was one of the first targets of theTenth United States Army7th Infantry Division. The United States seized it from the Japanese during the battle.
What the Americans captured was a 4,600 feet (1,400 m) strip of badly damaged coral runway. "The initial work at Kadena was accomplished by the 1901st Aviation Engineer Battalion7th U.S. Infantry Division and Naval Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit CBMU 624 on 4 April",[5] by nightfall the same day, the runway could accept emergency landings. Eight days later, and after some 6 inches (150 mm) of coral were added, the airfield was declared operational and put into immediate service by artillery spotting aircraft. Additional construction was performed by the 807th Engineering Aviation Battalion to improve the airfield forUSAAF fighter and bomber use with fuel tank farms, a new 6,500 feet (2,000 m)bituminous runway, and a 7,500 feet (2,300 m) runway for bomber aircraft, by August.
Kadena airfield was initially under the control ofSeventh Air Force, however on 16 July 1945, HeadquartersEighth Air Force was transferred, without personnel, equipment, or combat elements to the town of Sakugawa, near Kadena fromRAF High Wycombe England. Upon reassignment, its headquarters element absorbed the command staff of the inactivatedXX Bomber Command. Kadena was used by the headquarters staff for nationalists' requirements.
Upon its reassignment to the Pacific Theater, Eighth Air Force was assigned to the U.S. Army Strategic Air Forces with a mission to train newB-29 Superfortress bomber groups arriving from the United States for combat missions against Japan. In the plannedinvasion of Japan, the mission of Eighth Air Force would be to conductstrategic bombing raids from Okinawa. However, theatomic bombings of Japan led to the Japanese surrender before Eighth Air Force saw action in thePacific theater.
The surrender of Japanese forces in theRyukyu Islands came on 7 September. GeneralJoseph Stilwell accepted the surrender in an area that would later become Kadena's Stearley Heights housing area.
Known World War II units assigned to Kadena were:
On 7 June 1946, Headquarters Eighth Air Force moved without personnel or equipment toMacDill AAF, Florida. It was replaced by the1st Air Division which directed fighter reconnaissance, and bomber organizations and provided air defense for the Ryukyu Islands until December 1948.
Twentieth Air Force became the command and control organization for Kadena on 16 May 1949.
TheKorean War emphasized the need for maintaining a naval presence on Okinawa. On 15 February 1951, the U.S. Naval Facility, Naha, was activated and later became commissioned on 18 April. Commander Fleet Activities, Ryukyus was commissioned on 8 March 1957. On 15 May 1972, upon reversion of Okinawa to Japanese administration, the two organizations were combined to form Commander Fleet Activities, Okinawa. With the relocations of Commander Fleet Activities, Okinawa to Kadena Air Base on 7 May 1975, the title then became Commander Fleet Activities, Okinawa/US Naval Air Facility, Kadena.
Twentieth Air Force was inactivated in March 1955.Fifth Air Force became the command and control organization for Kadena. Known major postwar USAAF/USAF units assigned to Kadena have been:
At the end of theEisenhower presidency, around 1,700 nuclear weapons were deployed on shore in the Pacific, 800 of which were at Kadena Air Base.[6]
On 1 November 1954, the18th Fighter-Bomber Wing arrived fromOsan Air Base,South Korea. Under changing designations, the wing has been the main USAF flying force at Kadena for over 50 years.[7] The wing has maintained assigned aircraft, crews, and supporting personnel in readiness to respond to orders from Fifth Air Force andPacific Air Forces. The wing initially was flying three squadrons ofNorth American F-86 Sabre: the12th,44th and67th Fighter Squadrons. The wing flew tactical fighter sorties from Okinawa, and made frequent deployments to South Korea, Japan,Formosa, and thePhilippines. In 1957, the wing upgraded to theF-100 Super Sabre and the designation was changed to the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing. In 1960, a tactical reconnaissance mission was added to the wing with the arrival of theMcDonnell F-101 Voodoo and the15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron.
Beginning in 1961, the 18th TFW was sending its tactical squadrons frequently toSouth Vietnam andThailand, initially with its RF-101 reconnaissance jets,[8] and beginning in 1964 with its tactical fighter forces supporting USAF combat missions in theVietnam War.[8]: 257 In 1963, theF-105 Thunderchief replaced the Super Sabres. During theTemporary duty assignment (TDY) deployments to Southeast Asia, the 12th TFS lost four aircraft, the 44th TFS lost one F-105D, and the 67th TFS lost nine aircraft, including three on the first day ofOperation Rolling Thunder. The deployments to Southeast Asia continued until the end of United States involvement in the conflict.
TheRF-4C Phantom II replaced the RF-101 in the reconnaissance role in 1967. An electronic warfare capability was added to the wing in late 1968 with the attachment of the19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron fromShaw AFBSouth Carolina flying theEB-66 Destroyer. The B-66s remained until 1970, flying daily over the skies of Southeast Asia.
During the1968 Pueblo crisis, the 18th deployed between January and June to Osan AB, South Korea following the North Korean seizure of the vessel. Frequent deployments to South Korea have been performed ever since to maintain the air defense alert mission there.
In 1972, the1st Special Operations Squadron was assigned, bringing their specializedC/MC-130 Hercules aircraft to the wing. The squadron was reassigned in 1978. The reconnaissance mission ended in 1989 with the retirement of the RF-4Cs, and the inactivation of the 15th TRS.
The F/RF-4C Phantom II replaced the F-105s in 1971, and a further upgrade to theF-15 Eagle was made in 1979.
On 6 November 1972, the18th Tactical Fighter Wing dispatched the McDonnell DouglasF-4C / D Phantom II fighter jets of the44th Tactical Fighter Squadron and the67th Tactical Fighter Squadron to theChing Chuan Kang Air Base,Taiwan until 31 May 1975. Assist Taiwan ’s air defense against threats from China.
The designation of the wing changed on 1 October 1991 to the 18th Wing with the implementation of the Objective Wing concept. With the objective wing, the mission of the 18th expanded to the Composite Air Wing concept of multiple different wing missions with different aircraft. The mission of the 18th was expanded to include aerial refueling withKC-135 Stratotanker tanker aircraft; and surveillance, warning, command and controlE-3 Sentry, and communications. Added airlift mission in June 1992 with theC-12 Huron, transporting mission critical personnel, high-priority cargo and distinguished visitors. In February 1993, the 18th Wing gained responsibility for coordinating rescue operations in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean.
In November 2006, the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion,1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, aPatriot PAC-III unit, deployed to Kadena fromFort Bliss Texas.[9] Originally assigned to31st ADA Brigade of Fort Bliss, they were reassigned to the94th AAMDC,USINDOPACOM. The move was part of theBRAC consolidation of U.S. Army bases and security agreements between the U.S. and Japan. The battalion's mission is to defend the base againsttactical ballistic missiles from North Korea. The deployment was controversial on Okinawa, being greeted with protests.[10]
In late 2023,Nikkei Asia reported that the US Air Force would permanently stationBoeing F-15EX Eagle II jets at Kadena Air Base. That total would be down from the 48 F-15C Eagle jets which were previously permanently stationed there.[11]
In early September 2018, AustralianDefence MinisterChristopher Pyne and New Zealand's Deputy Prime MinisterWinston Peters stated that it was in their interest to aid both Japan and the United States against North Korea with patrol aircraft. These units would provide additional capability to prevent North Korean vessels conducting illegal trading out at sea in violation of UN sanctions.[12] TheRoyal Australian Air Force deployed twoAP-3C aircraft, along with a P-3K2 Orion from theRNZAF. RAAF P-8 Poseidons have subsequently been periodically deployed to Kadena as part ofOperation Argos.[13] RNZAF Orions also periodically operate from Kadena, with four such deployments having been made as of April 2021.[14]
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)CP-140 Auroras are based in Kadena when conducting surveillance operations against North Korean smuggling missions under Operation Neon.[15]
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Other major units assigned to Kadena since 1954 have been:
| Name | type | Call sign | Frequency | Operating time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kadena | VOR | KAD | 112 MHz | 24hour |
| TACAN | – | 1018 MHz |
The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena AB. In addition, the base hosts associate units from five other Air Force major commands, theUnited States Navy, and otherDepartment of Defense agencies and direct reporting units. Associate units operate more than 20 permanently assigned, forward-based or deployed aircraft from the base on a daily basis.
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The 18th Wing is the Air Force's largest and most diverse combat wing. The Wing is broken down into five groups: the 18th Operations Group, the 18th Maintenance Group, the 18th Mission Support Group, the 18th Civil Engineer Group, and the 18th Medical Group. Kadena's former fleet ofF-15C/D Eagle (the44th and67th Fighter Squadron);KC-135R/T Stratotanker (the909th Air Refueling Squadron);E-3B/C Sentry (the961st Airborne Air Control Squadron); andHH-60 Pave Hawks (the33rd Rescue Squadron).
The353rd Special Operations Wing is an element of theAir Force Special Operations Command,Hurlburt Field, Florida. The 750 Airmen of the group are organized into the1st Special Operations Squadron, the21st Special Operations Squadron, the 353rd Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, the 753rd Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, the320th Special Tactics Squadron, and the 353rd Special Operations Support Squadron. The flying squadrons operate theMC-130J Commando II and theCV-22B Osprey.
This733rd Air Mobility Squadron manage all passengers and cargo traveling by air in and out of Kadena. ThisAir Mobility Command unit supports about 650 aircraft arrivals and departures every month, moving more than 12,000 passengers and nearly 3,000 tons of cargo.
Air Combat Command's82nd Reconnaissance Squadron maintains aircraft; prepares combat-ready aircrews; and analyzes, processes, and disseminates intelligence data launch in support ofRC-135V/W Rivet Joint, RC-135U Combat Sent andWC-135 Constant Phoenix missions flown in the Pacific Theater.
ThisAir Intelligence Agency squadron conducts information operations by providing tailored combat intelligence and assessing the security of friendly command, control, communication and computer systems to enhance warfighting survivability, situation awareness and targeting.
TheU.S. Army's1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, assigned to the94th AAMDC is aPatriot PAC-3 battalion. It consists of four Patriot missile batteries (Alpha through Delta), a maintenance company (Echo) and a headquarters battery (HHB).
The Air Force Housing Management Office (HMO) manages Military Family Housing (MFH) for all service members assigned to Okinawa.[19] Kadena Air Base contains nearly 4,000 family housing units, in apartment, townhouse, and single family home styles.[20]
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Kadena Air Base.[21]
Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Kadena, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)
| Air Force Special Operations Command(AFSOC)
Air Mobility Command (AMC)
Air Combat Command (ACC) Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
United States Army[edit]U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) United States Marine Corps[edit]Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC)
|
The mission of NAVCOMM Det Okinawa is to provide communications support for theSeventh Fleet and supporting units, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, Defense Information Systems Agency and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. The detachment has four work centers:
Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools include:
In June 2013, the government of Japan discovered 22 barrels buried on former base property that tests showed had previously containeddioxins and herbicides. Tests on the surrounding soils found dioxin levels at 8.4 times and groundwater at 280 times the legal limit. The land in question is a soccer field bordering the base's Bob Hope Primary School and Amelia Earhart Intermediate School. Angry parents accused base officials, under base commanders Brigadier General Matt H. Molloy[31] and Brigadier General James B. Hecker, of failing to notify them of the toxins near the school and not investigating into the matter. After the issue was reported in theJapan Times andStars and Stripes, USAF officials tested the soil and water at the schools and said that no excessive toxic substances were found.[32][33]
Soil on the base tested positive for very high levels ofpolychlorinated biphenylchemicals (PCBs), in the thousands of parts per million, much higher than most other contamination sites in the world, according to a report issued in 1987 after an investigation prompted by a small unrelated spill of transformer oil.[34]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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