| Brigadier General Benito N. Ebuen Air Base | |
|---|---|
| Part of thePhilippine Air Force (PAF) | |
| located atMactan,Cebu, Philippines | |
 Brigadier General Benito N. Ebuen Air Base, with the flightline in the foreground | |
| Site information | |
| Type | PAFmilitary airbase |
| Owner |  Philippines |
| Operator |  Philippine Air Forcepreviously: United States Air Force(under jurisdiction of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) |
| Condition | active, as of 2022 |
| Location | |
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| Coordinates | 10°18′26″N123°58′44″E / 10.30722°N 123.97889°E /10.30722; 123.97889 (Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base) |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1956; 69 years ago (1956)[1] |
| Built by | United States |
| In use | 1 September 1961 (1961-09-01)–present |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison |
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| Occupants |
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Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military / public[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Philippine National Government | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Philippine Air Force | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Mactan,Cebu,Philippines | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1 September 1961; 63 years ago (1961-09-01) | ||||||||||||||
| Built | 1956; 69 years ago (1956) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | Philippine Standard Time (UTC+8) | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 23 m / 75 ft | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 10°18′48″N123°58′58″E / 10.31333°N 123.98278°E /10.31333; 123.98278 | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base .svg) Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base | |||||||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base,[1] originally known asOpon Airfield and laterMactan Air Base,[1] (IATA:CEB,ICAO:RPVM) is an activemilitary airbase of thePhilippine Air Force (PAF). It is located on the island ofMactan,Cebu, in the Visayas region of thePhilippines. It shares its tworunways with the civilianMactan–Cebu International Airport.[1] Mactan Air Base was originally built by, and was a facility of theUnited States Air Force (USAF), until the American military units left the country in 1991, whereby full and total control was handed over to the Philippine Air Force.[1][3]
Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base is located on Mactan island,[1] in Lapu-Lapu City, in the province ofCebu in theCentral Visayas region of the Philippines. Mactan island is best known as being the location where theSpanish explorer,Ferdinand Magellan was killed by the forces ofLapulapu during his circumnavigation of the earth.[4]
In 1945,Seabee unit Acorn 51 was assigned as the development unit for anairfield at Cebu.[5] The Seabees of the 54th Naval Construction Battalion were tasked with constructing the runway and support facilities.[5] AfterWorld War II, the AmericanStrategic Air Command (SAC) were allocated Mactan as an emergency landing field in the event of a war.[1] The airfield was basically barren, with only a few permanent structures and a 10,000feet (3,000metres) concrete runway. By 1965, the only permanent structures at the airfield were aPhilippine Air Force (PAF) operations building; which also doubled as anairport terminal, and the PAFbarracks. There was also a squadron of PAFF-86s on base.
As theVietnam War escalated, the base was rapidly built up. At its height, it became a permanentC-130 base, housing at least the 772nd and 774th Troop Carrier Squadrons of the463rd Troop Carrier Wing (later renamed as 'Tactical Airlift' Squadrons and Wing), as well as becoming a crew rest stop forC-124 andC-133 crews, in order to relieve congestion atClark Air Base. The C-124 Operations Squadron was the 606th Military Airlift Support Squadron (606th MASS).
After the end Vietnam War, the base was handed over to the Philippine Air Force.[1]
During theMindanao campaign in the 1970s, Mactan Air Base the base was extensively used for fighter operations against targets inMindanao region by the Philippine Air Force.
In June 1996, Mactan Air Base was renamed Brigadier General Benito N. Ebuen Air Base in honour ofPhilippine Air Force General Benito N. Ebuen, a former PAF chief, who was killed in an aircrash or the Presidential Plane which was carrying Pres.Ramon Magsaysay .[1]
In the aftermath ofSuper Typhoon Yolanda, Cebu airport was designated the hub of logistics for rescue and relief efforts, and the base saw a continuous flow of helicopters and jumbo cargo aircraft. Each day, at least ten were parked in the base, includingV-22 Ospreys of theUS Marines, toC-130 transport aircraft of different air forces of countries extending aid. Bigger aircraft like theC-5 Galaxy,C-17 Globemaster,747 freighters, andAn-124 landed in the base.
ThisPhilippine Air Force (PAF) airbase is currently responsible for the Transport Wing,[1] and provides for PAF operations in the Visayas area.[6]
Stationed at the base in 2009 were the 208th Tactical Helicopter Squadron, 205th Tactical Operations Wing, and the 220th Airlift Wing, along with the 5052nd Search and Rescue Squadron of the 505th Search and Rescue Group, and the 1304th Dental Dispensary. The Headquarters Administrative Squadron from the 205th Tactical Operations Wing, and the 560th Air Base Wing handle logistics. At present, PAF Units occupying Brigadier General Benito N Ebuen Air Base are the Headquarters Air Mobility Command, 220th Airlift Wing, 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing Tactical Operations Wing Central and 560th Air Base Group presently act as facilitator of the Base.[1][7]
Media related toMilitary aircraft at Mactan-Cebu International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
| Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) |
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| Leadership | |
| Army | Reserve Command (RESCOM) |
| Air Force | |
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| Coast Guard | |
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