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Lajes Field Air Base 4
Base Aérea das Lajes Base Aérea N.º 4
Lajes,Terceira Island in theAzores
A variety ofUS Air Force aircraft seen at Lajes, the airfield being used as a stop-off whilst aircraft transit between the Americas and Europe
Nós outros, cuja fama tanto voa
Site information
Type	Military airfield
Owner	Ministry of National Defence
Operator	Portuguese Air Force (PAF)
Controlled by	Azores Air Zone Command
Condition	Operational
Website	Official website
Location
Lajes Location in the Azores
Coordinates	38°45′43″N027°05′27″W / 38.76194°N 27.09083°W /38.76194; -27.09083
Site history
Built	1934 (1934)
In use	1934 – present
Garrison information
Occupants	502 Squadron (Portugal) (PAF) 752 Squadron "Fénix"(Portugal) (PAF) 65th Air Base Group (USAF)
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: TER,ICAO: LPLA,WMO: 085090
Elevation	55 metres (180 ft)AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 15/33 3,314 metres (10,873 ft) Asphalt
Airfield shared withLajes Airport Source: PortugueseAIP[1]

Lajes Field orLajes Air Base (pronounced[ˈlaʒɨʃ];Portuguese:Base Aérea das Lajes), officially designatedAir Base No. 4 (Base Aérea N.º 4,BA4) (IATA:TER,ICAO:LPLA), is a multi-use airfield nearLajes and 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast ofAngra do Heroísmo^[1] onTerceira Island in theAzores,Portugal. It is home to thePortuguese Air ForceBase Aérea N.º 4 andAzores Air Zone Command (Portuguese:Comando da Zona Aérea dos Açores), aUnited States Air Force detachment unit (operated by the65th Air Base Group ofUnited States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa), and a regional air passenger terminal. Located about 3,680 km (2,290 mi) east ofNew York City and about 1,600 km (990 mi) west ofLisbon, Portugal; the base sits in a strategic location midway between North America and Europe in the northAtlantic Ocean.

The origin of the Lajes Field dates back to 1928, whenPortuguese ArmyLieutenant Colonel Eduardo Gomes da Silva wrote a report on the possible construction of an airfield in the plainland of Lajes, for that branch's aviation service (Portuguese:Aeronáutica Militar). However, the location of Achada on the center of the island was chosen instead at the time for the construction of the field. In 1934, the Achada airfield was condemned due to its inadequate dimensions and adverse weather conditions, resulting in the construction of a landing strip of packed earth and a small group of support facilities by thePortuguese military at Lajes.

DuringWorld War II, the designation of the airfield was changed to Air Base No. 4 and the Portuguese government expanded the runway, sending troops and equipment to Terceira, includingGloster Gladiator fighters. Themilitary activities in the Azores grew in 1942, as the Gladiators began to be used to support allied convoys, in reconnaissance missions and on meteorological flights. In addition, the first PortugueseJunkers Ju 52 arrived in July 1942 to fly cargo missions.

By 1943, the British and American armed forces were allowed basing rights in Portugal. Within a month of disembarking on Terceira in October 1943, theRoyal Air Force had laid pierced steel planking to lengthen the runway at Lajes Field, allowing the Royal Air Force to begin patrols. The first attack on a German U-boat was conducted in November, sinking the submarine; this attack was followed by a dozen more attacks on U-boats by the end of February 1944, after which German forces stayed clear of the British and American patrol areas.^[2] The Azores enabled British and American airmen to protectAllied shipping in the area.^[3]

On 1 December 1943, British and U.S. military representatives at RAF Lajes Field signed a joint agreement outlining the roles and responsibilities for theUnited States Army Air Forces (USAAF) andUnited States Navy (USN) at Lajes Field.^[3] The agreement established guidelines and limitations for the ferrying of aircraft to Europe via Lajes Field.^[3] In return, the US agreed to assist the British in improving and extending existing facilities at Lajes.Air Transport Command transport planes began landing at Lajes Field immediately after the agreement was signed. By the end of June 1944, more than 1,900 American airplanes had passed through this Azorean base. Using Lajes Field, the flying time relative to the usual transatlantic route between Brazil and West Africa was nearly cut in half from 70 to 40 hours.

Lajes Field was one of the two stopover and refueling bases for the first transatlantic crossing ofnon-rigid airships (blimps) in 1944. The USN sent sixGoodyear-builtK-ships fromNaval Air Station South Weymouth inMassachusetts to their first stopover base atNaval Station Argentia,Newfoundland and then on to Lajes Field in the Azores before flying to their final destination atPort Lyautey (Kenitra),French Morocco.^[4] From their base withFleet Air Wing 15 at Port Lyautey, the blimps of USN Blimp Squadron 14 (ZP-14 or Blimpron 14) conducted night-timeanti-submarine warfare (ASW) to search for GermanU-boats around theStrait of Gibraltar usingmagnetic anomaly detection (MAD).^[5] In 1945, two ZP-14 replacement blimps were sent from Weeksville, North Carolina, to theBermudas and Lajes before going on toCraw Field (Kenitra Air Base) at Port Lyautey.^[6]

The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes back to Portugal in 1946. The Portuguese redesignated Lajes as Air Base No. 4 and assigned it to the air branch of the Portuguese Army. However, talks between the U.S. and Portugal began about extending the American stay in the Azores. A temporary agreement was reached between theU.S. and Portuguese governments giving the U.S. military rights to Lajes Field for an additional 18 months: the relationship between the Portuguese and American governments continues to this day, where the U.S. military resides under a tenancy status, and the Portuguese government retaining rights of ownership to the land and infrastructure.^[3] Lajes Field remains Portuguese Air Base 4 under the direction of Headquarters Azores Air Zone commanded by Portuguese Air Forcebrigadeiro (equal to a U.S. two-star general).

In 1947, the PortugueseEsquadra 41 started to operate from Lajes, equipped withBoeing SB-17,Grumman HU-16 Albatross,Douglas C-54 Skymaster and, laterSikorsky H-19 helicopters. In 1952, the U.S. Air Force activated the 57th Air Rescue Squadron at Lajes Field, where it was based until inactivated in 1972.^[7] These units were responsible for thesearch and rescue (SAR) operations in the Atlantic between Europe and North America.^[8]

In 1949, theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance was established. Portugal, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other western European countries were charter members of NATO. By reason of the NATO alliance, Lajes was available for use by those countries, and the use of Lajes was one of Portugal's primary contributions to the alliance. However, use of Lajes Field by the U.S.Department of Defense takes place under a U.S.-Portuguese Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), separate and in addition to NATO arrangements.

In 1953, AdmiralLynde D. McCormick, theCommander-in-Chief,United States Atlantic Command organized a subordinate unified command in the Azores calledU.S. Forces Azores (USFORAZ). A small staff ofUnited States Army, United States Air Force, andUnited States Marine Corps personnel composed the joint staff of USFORAZ, serving as the liaison between the U.S. and the Portuguese in the Azores.

In the late 1950s, USAFair refueling/tanker aircraft were stationed at Lajes to provide inflight refueling for U.S. aircraft transiting the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the tanker units left Lajes by 1965, but others returned later, especially the USAFBoeing KC-135 Stratotanker. This transfer, coupled with the introduction of newer long-range aircraft, resulted in a gradual decline in Lajes traffic. TheMilitary Air Transport Service (MATS) and its successor, theMilitary Airlift Command (MAC), became responsible for USAF activities at the base, and for a while the 1605th Military Airlift Support Wing acted as USAF host unit.

Lajes Field also played a crucial role inCold War politics. From 1932 to 1968, Portugal was under the dictatorship ofAntónio de Oliveira Salazar, yet the U.S. Government maintained friendly relations with hisEstado Novo government, especially after 1943. TheCold War military importance of Lajes Field outweighed considerations about the Salazar Government's dictatorial rule over Portugal.

In 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP (heavy aircraft advanced training unit) was transferred to Lajes, operatingDouglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and laterCASA C-212 Aviocar.

During thePortuguese Colonial War, from 1961 to 1975, the Air Force Hospital at Lajes operated as the main centre for treatment and rehabilitation of mutilated and heavy burned soldiers of the three services of the Portuguese Armed Forces.

During the 1973Yom Kippur War, Lajes Field also supportedOperation Nickel Grass U.S. airlift missions to Israel, highlighting the importance of the U.S. Air Force base at Lajes.

Another important Cold War operation at Lajes was the U.S. Navy'sNaval Air Facility Lajes (NAF Lajes), a tenant activity at the air base. NAF Lajes, and its associated Tactical Support Center (TSC)/Antisubmarine Warfare Operations Center (ASWOC), supported rotational detachments of U.S. NavyP-2 Neptune and laterP-3 Orionmaritime patrol aircraft that would trackSoviet attack,guided missile, andballistic missile submarines in the region. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and theWarsaw Pact, and end of the Cold War, P-3 operations at Lajes declined, and the Naval Air Facility was inactivated in the late 1990s.

Following the Portuguese Air Force reorganization of 1978, Lajes Air Base comes to have two resident flying units: Squadron 503 - equipped with CASA C-212 aircraft and Squadron 752 - equipped withAérospatiale SA 330 Puma helicopters. In 1980, a detachment of Squadron 301 - equipped withFiat G.91 fighter-bombers - starts to be based at Lajes, this being augmented and becoming Squadron 303 "Jaguares" in 1981.

TheM_w7.2Azores Islands earthquake affected Terceira Island. Damage to Lajes Field was minimal, but Portuguese communities throughout the island suffered extensive damage. Military personnel responded with food, shelter, equipment, and manpower.

In the summer of 1984, Lajes undertook a new mission known as "SILK PURSE."Boeing EC-135s began operating out of Lajes Field as an airborne command post for the U.S.Commander-in-Chief, Europe. Along with the aircraft came theU.S. European Command battle staff and flight crews from United States Air Forces in Europe. This mission was ended in late August 1991.

In 1990, Squadron 303 was disbanded.

Lajes supported the large airlift during theGulf War. On the first day of the deployment over 90 aircraft transited Lajes.Strategic Air Command (SAC) created aprovisional tanker wing, the 802nd Air Refueling Wing (P) Provisional, at Lajes to support the airlift. At the height of the operation a peak of 33 tanker aircraft and 600 troops deployed to Lajes. Soon after the Gulf War ended, Lajes command changed fromAir Mobility Command, toAir Combat Command.

In 1993, squadrons 503 and 752 are merged in a single mixed unit operating both C-212 and Aérospatiale Puma, the711 Squadron "Albatrozes" (Albatrosses).

The resident Portuguese 711 Squadron was deactivated on 30 November 2006. With this act the long-servingAerospatiale Puma was retired from service.^[9] ThePuma helicopters were replaced by the modernAgustaWestlandAW101 Merlin: the Portuguese government purchased twelve units for SAR, CSAR and Fisheries enforcement. Air Base No. 4 received three Merlins on permanent detachment fromEsquadra 751 "Pumas" fromAir Base No. 6 atMontijo, near Lisbon. They saw immediate service starting 1 December 2006. However, maintenance problems developed in the next coming months which, coupled with a shortage of spare parts from the manufacturer, led to such a low serviceable rate forcing the Portuguese Air Force to pull the Merlin from service in the Azores. The last Merlin flew back to Montijo on 19 March 2009. In order not to compromise the SAR mission, the Portuguese Air Force decided to reactivate the Puma fleet: in July 2008 a formation of four Puma helicopters made the trans-Atlantic crossing fromBeja to Lajes viaPorto Santo Airport onPorto Santo Island andSanta Maria Airport onSanta Maria Island.

Beginning in 1997, large scale fighter aircraft movements under the new USAF operating concept known as the Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) filled the Lajes flightline. Lajes also has hostedB-52 Stratofortress andB-1 Lancer bomber aircraft on global air missions, and also supported many routine NATO exercises, such as the biennial Northern Viking exercise. Lajes Field services aircraft from various nations, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela.^[10] The airfield was an alternative landing site for theNASASpace Shuttle orbiter and also now plays as the number onediversion airport for medical or mechanical emergency diversion situations for all types of aircraft. An annual average of 50 aircraft of all types divert to Lajes as a mid Atlantic safe haven.

This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2024)

In 2009 Lajes provided rescue support of shipping lanes across the Atlantic, a safe haven for medical or mechanical emergency situations in aircraft crossing the Atlantic, and support for the USAF's continuing campaigns inIraq andAfghanistan. Fighter, tanker and transport planes frequently stopped there, either east or westbound. The next decade expects to see a rise in the number ofU.S. Department of Defense aircraft to transit Lajes supporting the newly createdAFRICOM.

In August 2006, Portuguese news agencies reported that both governments were in discussions for a new agreement that could allow the use of Lajes for the training of a permanentF-22 Raptor squadron. Since 1943, the use of Lajes by the U.S. military has allowed Portugal to strengthen diplomatic relations with the U.S. as well as obtain military equipment for the Portuguese Armed Forces, including twoA-7P Corsair II squadrons and the co-finance ofF-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft under thePeace Atlantis I program. In August 2010, Portuguese news agencies advised for the termination of the F-22 Raptor plan to use Lajes as a platform forDissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT) training over the Atlantic Ocean. DoD sources were cited as the plan cancelled due to budgetary constraints. This was regarded locally as a setback for the military environment at Lajes, as well as raising doubts from regional political forces who have concerns regarding the base future as well as the safety of the Azorean employed workforce.

Portugal has explored contingencies in the event the United States military eventually abandons Lajes, including the possibility of entering an agreement with thePeople's Republic of China. On June 27, 2012, an airplane carryingPremierWen Jiabao made a four-hour stop at Lajes during which time he toured the island.^[11]

On 13 December 2012, the US Department of Defense announced, as part of a larger Air Force effort to shape the force, that Lajes Field will transition from an air base wing to an air base group with a reduction of more than 400 military personnel and 500 family members by the end of fiscal year 2014. This force reduction is estimated to garner a cost savings of $35 million annually.^[12]

The base supports NATO and non-NATO armed forces assets crossing the Atlantic for transport, VIP, exercise, relief or humanitarian duties.

The civilian terminal also plays an important role in support of passenger and cargo airliners, executive, corporate and private jets flying to the island or beyond as the central location in the Azores group of islands makes it an ideal spot for refuelling or stopover. In the past five years, largeAntonov An-124 andAn-225 aircraft have been seen frequently transporting outsized cargo for destinations in North and South America.

Lajes provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations. The geographic position has made this airbase strategically important to both the United States and NATO's war fighting capability. In addition, a small commercial aviation terminal handles scheduled and chartered flights from North America and Europe, especially mainland Portugal. It also supervises commercial air traffic with the other islands in the Azorean archipelago and trans-Atlantic refuelling and stopovers for commercial airlines, executive and corporate jets, air cargo haulers, small private aircraft, governmental flights, humanitarian missions, and other flights.

Azores Aerial Detachment:

• Esq. 502 "Elefantes" - tactical and general transport duties,medical evacuation, maritime patrol, and search and rescue support; flying oneEADS CASA C-295, deployed from Montijo AB.^[13]
• Esq. 751 "Pumas" - search and rescue squadron flying twoAgustaWestland AW101, deployed from Montijo AB. Now undertaking the SAR and air evacuation mission within the Santa Maria FIR - Flight Information Region.^[14][15]

Lajes Field is the home of the65th Air Base Group, which in turn is subordinate to theUnited States Air Forces in Europe. The group provides base and en route support for the U.S. Department of Defense, NATO, and other authorized aircraft transiting the installation. Due to the global economic crisis, the US government decided to reduce the military contingent at Lajes to no more than 170 active duty personnel. Families will relocate stateside or elsewhere, several buildings, dorms and homes will be made redundant. This much reduced effective will still be responsible to keep Lajes operational mission active although at a much reduced scale, with relevant changes to be implemented from March 2014.

In addition to the 65th Air Base Wing, other units at Lajes Field include theU.S. Army Military Traffic Management Command's 1324th Military Port Command in the nearby port of Praia da Vitoria, U.S. Air ForceAir Mobility Command’s 729th Air Mobility Support Squadron, Detachment 6 of theAir Force Public Affairs Agency, Detachment 250 -Air Force Office of Special Investigations,DLA Disposition Services, and theDefense Commissary Agency.

Lajes Field is also the home of the 65th Communication Squadron, which provides communication in the form ofHigh Frequency Global Communications Systems (HFGCS), ground radio, ground radar,SatCom (Satellite Communications), and cryptography to the base.

Civilian operators may use Terceira Airport/Lajes Air Base after requesting a landing permit according to the rules inscribed in theAIP for Portugal, issued by the Portuguese Directorate of Civilian Aviation (INAC).^[16]

Units based at Lajes Field.^[17][18][19]

Those marked GSU and their subordinate units are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Lajes, report to a parent unit based at another location.

• On January 31, 1951, aDouglas C-54 Skymaster operated by thePortuguese Air Force crashed into the sea while approaching Lajes Field, having taken off from Lisbon, Portugal, killing all 14 on board.^[20]
• On August 9, 1954, aLockheed L-749A-79 Constellation operated byAvianca crashed three minutes after takeoff. It flew left into the hills instead of right towards the sea, killing all 30 on board.^[21]
• On October 10, 1956, aUnited States NavyDouglas R6D-1 Liftmastertransport on aMilitary Air Transport Service flightdisappeared over theAtlantic Ocean during a flight fromRAF Lakenheath,England, to Lajes Field with the loss of all 59 people on board.^{[22][23][24][25]}
• On September 3, 1976, aVenezuelan Air ForceC-130 Herculescrashed while attempting an emergency landing duringHurricane Emmy. On final approach, a wind gust slammed the aircraft into a hillside, killing all 68 people aboard. Most of the passengers were members of the student chorus of theCentral University of Venezuela inCaracas, traveling toBarcelona.^[26][27]
• On April 26, 1978, aUnited States NavyP-3 Orion ditched into theAtlantic Ocean while on approach approximately 20 miles away, after completing a training mission. Few debris were found floating on water and all seven crew members were killed. The crash happened under unknown circumstances.^[28]
• On February 4, 1998, anAntonov 12BP operated by Air Luxor crashed on takeoff when the number three engine shut down and feathered. The plane then veered right, stalled and crashed into a hill killing all 7 on board.^[29]
• On 24 August 2001,Air Transat Flight 236 – anAirbus A330 with 293 passengers and 13 crew members on board – en route to Lisbon fromToronto, Ontario, Canada, made an emergency landing at Lajes with no loss of life, after running out of fuel over the Atlantic and gliding about 120 km (75 mi).^[30]
• On 26 April 2017,British Airways Flight 2263, on the way fromLondon-Gatwick toKingston,Jamaica, made an unscheduled landing due to an argument between two passengers and cabin crew. The passengers had demanded to be moved from economy to first class. The flight continued after the passengers were made to disembark and were questioned by Portuguese police.^[31]
• On March 20, 2020,Aeromexico Flight 37, on its way fromMexico City,Mexico, toBarcelona,Spain, made an unscheduled emergency landing in Lajes. The pilot of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner declared an emergency due to a crackedwindscreen in the cockpit.^[32][33]

• Aviation in the Azores
• North Atlantic air ferry route in World War II
• Portugal during World War I
• Portugal during World War II
• Satellite map images with missing or unclear data

Notes

Sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related toLajes Air Base.

• Official website (Air Base 4 – Portuguese Air Force)
• Lajes Field Force Support Flight (US Air Force)

• Fields of the United States Air Force
• Airports in the Azores
• Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command
• Military installations of the United States in Portugal
• Terceira Island
• Portuguese Air Force bases
• Buildings and structures in Praia da Vitória
• Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites
• Military installations in Portugal

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