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Aviano Air Base

Coordinates:46°01′53″N012°35′49″E/ 46.03139°N 12.59694°E/46.03139; 12.59694
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Aviano Air Base
Aeroporto Pagliano e Gori di Aviano
NearAviano,Friuli-Venezia Giuliain Italy
A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon of the 31st Fighter Wing based at Aviano
AUS Air ForceF-16 Fighting Falconof the31st Fighter Wingbased at Aviano
Aviano is located in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Aviano
Aviano
Aviano is located in Italy
Aviano
Aviano
Aviano is located in Europe
Aviano
Aviano
Aviano is located in Mediterranean
Aviano
Aviano
Coordinates46°01′53″N012°35′49″E/ 46.03139°N 12.59694°E/46.03139; 12.59694
TypeUsed by the US and Italian air forces
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence(Ministero della Difesa)
OperatorItalian Air Force(Aeronautica Militare) andUS Air Force
Controlled byItaly[1]
ConditionOperational
Websitewww.aviano.af.mil
Site history
Built1911(1911)
In use1911–1954 (Italian Air Force)
1954–present (Italian Air Force and US Air Force)
Garrison information
Current
commander		Colonel Luca Crovatti[2]
Garrison31st Fighter Wing
Occupants
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA:AVB,ICAO:LIPA,WMO:160360
Elevation125.8 metres (413 ft)AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
05/23 2,616 metres (8,583 ft)Asphalt
Source:SkyVector Aeronautical Charts[3]

Aviano Air Base(IATA:AVB,ICAO:LIPA) (Italian:Base aerea di Aviano) is a base in northeasternItaly,in theFriuli-Venezia Giuliaregion.It is located in theAvianomunicipality, at the foot of theCarnic Pre-AlpsorSouthern Carnic Alps,about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) fromPordenone.

TheItalian Air Forcehas ownership, and administrative and military control of the base.[1]It hosts theU.S. Air Force's31st Fighter Wingand pernuclear sharingis one of six active air bases in five European countries withB61 nuclear bombsin undergroundWS3 Weapon Storage and Security Systeminside aircraft shelters.[4]

The 31st Fighter Wing is the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Alps.[5]The 31st Fighter Wing is made up of twoGeneral Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falconfighter squadrons, the555th Fighter Squadronand the510th Fighter Squadron,allowing it to fly both attack and defensive missions.

History

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Aviano Air Base was established by the Italian government in 1911 as the first airport in Italy, and was later used as training base for Italian pilots and construction facility for aircraft parts. DuringWorld War I,Italy used the airfield in missions against theAustro-HungarianandGermanarmies. At that time, two Italian aviators, CaptainMaurizio Paglianoand LieutenantLuigi Gori,conducted an unauthorized and unsuccessful but heroic air raid on the Austro-Hungarian naval yards inPula,in what is nowCroatia.In their honor, the base's name was changed toAeroporto Pagliano e Goriin 1919. During the war the airfield was also overrun by the Austro-German army between November 1917 and November 1918. After World War I, the airfield was again used as a training base.

DuringWorld War II,both theItalian Air Forceand theGermanLuftwaffeflew missions from Aeroporto Pagliano e Gori.Britishforces captured the base in 1945; they conducted air operations there until 1947, when the Italian Air Force resumed operational use of the airport.

The USAF first arrived in Aviano in the winter of 1954. The 40th Tactical Group was created 1 April 1966. The1976 earthquakecaused no damage.

Hurricane Andrew and Balkan operations

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As part of the most extensive restructuring since the Air Force became a separate service,Tactical Air Commandwas inactivated andAir Combat Commandwas activated and the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing was redesignated to its current name, the 31st Fighter Wing.[6]

Activation ceremony for the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base on 1 April 1994

To avoid losing the wing's heritage and history as the highest scoringArmy Air Forceunit in theMediterranean Theaterin WW II, the impressive combat record in theVietnam Warand a number of significant firsts they produced in the early years of the Air Force, the 31st Fighter Wing was chosen to move rather than fade into obscurity. On 1 April 1994, the 31st Fighter Wing inactivated atHomestead AFBand subsequently activated at Aviano Air Base, Italy, in place of the401st Fighter Wing.[7]

The 31st Fighter Wing received two new squadrons at that time, the555thand510th Fighter Squadrons,along with their Block-40 F-16s. The wing immediately became involved with events inBosnia,part of the former communist country ofYugoslavia,in May 1994 as part ofOperation Deny Flight.In June 1995, a massive search and rescue operation took place to extract CaptainScott O'Gradyof the 555th Fighter Squadron who was shot down over Bosnian-Serb controlled territory in Bosnia. AU.S. Marine CorpsCH-53picked him up after he evaded capture for six days.[8]

Timeline of Balkan Operations, 31st Fighter Wing

In August and September,Operation Deliberate Forcebegan and the 31st Fighter Wing conducted air strikes against Bosnian Serbs to give the Muslim forces an upper hand in the conflict. Peacekeeping operations continued in the Balkans through the end of 2004, when theEuropean Unionassumed responsibility for the region.[9]

In 1999, U.S. Air Forces in Europe activated the 31st Air Expeditionary Wing-Noble Anvil at Aviano forOperation Allied Forcein theProvince of Kosovo,which was not authorized by theUN Security Council.Assigned under a joint task force, the 31st Air Expeditionary Wing flew from Aviano and joined NATO allies in a 78-day air campaign against theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia(Serbia). From 24 March to 10 June 1999, the 31st Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest expeditionary wing in Air Force history flew nearly 9,000 combat sorties and accumulated almost 40,000 hours of combat service over the skies of Kosovo, Serbia and the rest of the Balkans in support of NATO operations. The wing accomplished much during OAF as the two permanently assigned flying squadrons, the 510th and 555th, flew more than 2,400 combined sorties and more than 10,000 combat hours.[10]

Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya

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Emblem of the 31st Air Expeditionary Wing

In 2000, the wing began deployments in support of theExpeditionary Air Force.From March to September 2000, the 510th and 555th Fighter Squadrons conducted back-to-back deployments toAhmad al-Jaber AB,Kuwait,in support ofOperation Southern Watch.While at Al Jaber, the squadrons flew more than 400 combat sorties.

From June through December 2001, the fighter squadrons deployedcombat search and rescuecapabilities three times and helped enforce theno-fly zoneover Iraq.

From August to December 2002, the 510th Fighter Squadron and603rd Air Control Squadronreturned to Southwest Asia. The two squadrons supportedOperation Enduring Freedom.

Simultaneously, the 555th deployed personnel and aircraft toDecimomannu Air Base,Sardinia,while the runway at Aviano was closed for repairs.

The wing's support ofOperation Iraqi Freedombegan in late 2003. Aviano served as the launch point for airborne/air-land insertion of airborne forces opening a second front in northern Iraq. During that time, the wing secured, bedded and fed more than 2,300Armyand Air Force personnel. The operation, the largest airborne operation since 1989, constituted 62 missions, transporting 2,146 passengers and 2,433.7 tons of cargo.

Since the beginning of combat operations in Iraq, forces from the wing have been on regular combat rotations into the region. In late 2003, the wing's603rd Air Control Squadronbecame the first unit from the wing to deploy to Iraq. They also relocated their entire operation fromBaghdad International AirporttoBalad Air Base.Under combat conditions, the squadron transferred $73 million in equipment and more than 100 personnel with 20 convoys. On 10 April 2004, insurgents launched a mortar attack on Balad, killingAirman 1st Class Antoine Holtand injuring two other 603rd Air Control Squadron members. Airman Holt's death constituted the 31st Fighter Wing's first combat fatality since the Vietnam War.

The 31st Fighter Wing continued deploying forces in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, with more than one-third of the wing deploying to support operations each year from 2003 to 2007.

In 2007, the 555th Fighter Squadron deployed toKunsan Air Basein theRepublic of Korea.

Since arriving at Aviano, the wing has also participated in numerous training exercises with international partners, including training deployments toLatvia,theCzech Republic,Romania,Bulgaria,Spain,SloveniaandPoland.

In March 2011, the 31st Fighter Wing played a major role in theUnited Nations' response to the crisis inLibya,known asOperation Odyssey Dawn,in enforcing no-fly zone.[11]The wing hosted four flying units and more than 1,350 personnel during the 15-day operation, 17 to 31 March. It worked around the clock to launch 2,250 flying operations out of Aviano Air Base. As Operation Odyssey Dawn came to an end on 31 March, so beganOperation Unified Protector,with NATO taking the lead until the operation's conclusion 31 October of that year.[7]

Aviano F-16s again returned to the skies over Libya in June 2014. Due to significant fighting inTripoliduring the2014 Libyan conflictthe U.S embassy was evacuated. During a five-hournon-combatant evacuation operation,three F-16s launched from Aviano guarded the evacuation of American citizens as embassy staff andU.S Marinesconvoyd overland from Tripoli intoTunisia.[12][13]

Cavalese cable-car disaster

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Main article:Cavalese cable car disaster (1998)

In the Cavalese cable car disaster, on 3 February 1998, a U.S. Marine CorpsEA-6B Prowlerjet flying too low on a training exercise from Aviano Air Base severed acable car's cable over theAlpsatCavalese,Italy, causing 20 deaths.[14]

Imam rapitoaffair

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See also:Imam rapito affair

On 4 November 2009, the conviction by an Italian court of 22CIAagents, aU.S. Air Forcecolonel and two ItalianSISMIsecret agents confirmed the role of the Aviano Air Base in the kidnapping, on 17 February 2003, ofHassan Mustafa Osama Nasr,in the so-called "extraordinary rendition"program.[15]The man, abducted inMilanby CIA agents, was taken to Aviano Air Base for interrogation before being transported viaRamstein Air BaseinGermanytoAlexandria,Egypt,and turned over to the custody of Egypt'sState Security Intelligence.[15][16][17]

Infrastructure and facilities

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  • Area A1 contains a few of Aviano's support functions (such as the library and chapel) and the Department of Defense Dependents School for the base population's children.
  • Area A2 contained a fitness center, dining facility, dormitories, thrift shop and a fire department but all facilities have been removed and it now an empty enclosed area.
  • Area C contains most of the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron's facilities.
  • Area D contains a football field and picnic area.
  • Area E contains theCarabinieri(Italian gendarmerie that enforces the law on the base) headquarters in this area. It contains also anArmed Forces Networkstation, military working dog kennels, and anAir Force Office of Special Investigationsdetachment.
  • Area F is the flightline area, and is the largest area in Aviano. The complex contains the active runway and taxiways, as well as most of the base's facilities, which include a commissary andbase exchange.

Role and operations

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31st Fighter Wing

[edit]

The31st Fighter Wingis made up of four groups, each consisting of several squadrons.

The 31st Operations Group ensures the combat readiness of two F-16CG squadrons, one air control squadron, and one operational support squadron conducting and supporting worldwide air operations. The group preparesfighter pilots,controllers, and support personnel to execute U.S. and NATO war plans and contingency operations. It trains, equips, plans, and provides weather, intelligence, standardization/evaluation, andcommand and controlsustaining global flying operations.[18]

The 31st Maintenance Group provides peacetime and combat maintenance and munitions control, and executive support for the 31st Fighter Wing, geographically separated units under the command and control of the wing, and units gained during advanced stages of readiness. The 31st MXG also responds to humanitarian and contingency logistics support requirements as directed by theJoint Chiefs of Staffthrough HeadquartersU.S. Air Forces Europeto locations in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia.[19]

The 31st Mission Support Group's goal is to provide infrastructure and service to support a premiere combat capability and quality of life to the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano community and multiple geographically separated units.[20]

The 31st Medical Group supports the readiness of 31st Fighter Wing and associated units throughout the Southern Region, ensuring the health of its community by providing optimal patient-focused medical care from internal, Department of Defense and Host Nation resources. The unit employs medical resources and preventive initiatives to ensure airmen remain mission ready to support the Expeditionary Air Force, U.S. and NATO objectives worldwide.[21]

As of 2023, Aviano is one of six active air bases in five European countries withB61 nuclear bombsin undergroundWS3 Weapon Storage and Security Systeminside aircraft shelters;Ramstein Air Basehas a vault but no nuclear weapons present andRAF Lakenheaths bunkers were being modernized.[22]

Based units

[edit]

Flying and notable non-flying units based at Aviano Air Base.[23][24]

Education

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TheDepartment of Defense Education Activity(DoDEA) operates schools for children who are dependents of US military personnel. Aviano Elementary School andAviano Middle High Schoolare the two DoDEA schools on the property.[25]

Environment

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Pest exterminationis the responsibility of the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron.[26]

See also

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Air bases with US nuclear weapon vaults in Europe:

References

[edit]
  1. ^ab"www.carabinieri.it".
  2. ^"Cambio del Comandante all'aeroporto di Aviano - PN".28 September 2019.
  3. ^"LIPA - Aviano Airport".SkyVector.Retrieved9 May2019.
  4. ^"Armi nucleari in Italia: Dove, come, perché".24 April 2013.
  5. ^"31st Fighter Wing Fact Sheet".Archived fromthe originalon 31 October 2013.Retrieved2 July2013.
  6. ^"31st Fighter Wing (USAFE)".Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived fromthe originalon 28 September 2015.Retrieved2 July2013.
  7. ^ab"A History of the 31st Fighter Wing"(PDF).31st FW Historian. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 27 February 2013.Retrieved2 July2013.
  8. ^Fedarko, Kevin (19 June 1995)."Rescuing Scott O'Grady: All for One".Time.Archived fromthe originalon 8 December 2007.Retrieved2 July2013.
  9. ^"Operation Deliberate Force: Ten years on".NATO.Retrieved2 July2013.
  10. ^"Operation Allied Force".Air Force Historical Studies Office. Archived fromthe originalon 31 December 2013.Retrieved2 July2013.
  11. ^UNSR 1973
  12. ^"[Photo] EP-3E ARIES II spyplane over Tripoli during U.S. Embassy evacuation".27 July 2014.
  13. ^"New details emerge on Libya embassy evacuation | Military Times | militarytimes.com".www.militarytimes.com.Archived fromthe originalon 26 July 2014.
  14. ^Kozaren, Lynda (16 March 1998)."Investigators Blame Marines for Cable Car Accident".www.defense.gov.Archived fromthe originalon 14 July 2012.
  15. ^ab"CIA agents guilty of Italy kidnap".BBC News.4 November 2009.
  16. ^"Italians held over 'CIA kidnap'".BBC News.5 July 2006.
  17. ^Paolo Biondani (24 June 2005)."I pm di Milano: arrestate gli agenti della Cia"[Milan's prosecutors: "Arrest CIA agents" ].Corriere della Sera(in Italian).
  18. ^"31st Operations Group Fact Sheet".Archived fromthe originalon 30 December 2013.Retrieved2 July2013.
  19. ^"31st Maintenance Group Fact Sheet".Archived fromthe originalon 31 December 2013.Retrieved2 July2013.
  20. ^"31st Mission Support Group Fact Sheet".Archived fromthe originalon 30 December 2013.Retrieved2 July2013.
  21. ^"31st Medical Group Fact Sheet".Archived fromthe originalon 30 December 2013.Retrieved2 July2013.
  22. ^Hans Christensen (1 September 2023)."The C-17A Has Been Cleared To Transport B61-12 Nuclear Bomb To Europe".Federation of American Scientists.Retrieved15 December2023.
  23. ^"Fact Sheets".Aviano Air Base.US Air Force.Retrieved15 May2019.
  24. ^"Comando Aeroporto di Aviano".Aeronautica Militare(in Italian).Retrieved29 May2021.
  25. ^"Aviano Community Schools".Department of Defense Education Activity.Retrieved11 July2022.
  26. ^

Some of this text in an early version of this article was taken from pages on theAviano Air Base website,which as a work of the U.S. Government is presumed to be apublic domain resource.That information was supplemented by:

  • Donald, David (2004) Century Jets: USAF Frontline Fighters of the Cold War. AIRtimeISBN1-880588-68-4
  • Endicott, Judy G. (1999) Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. CD-ROM.
  • Fletcher, Harry R. (1989) Air Force Bases Volume II, Active Air Force Bases outside the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.ISBN0-912799-53-6
  • Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History.ISBN0-88740-513-4.
  • Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.ISBN0-912799-12-9.
  • Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications.ISBN1-85780-197-0.
  • USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers—1908 to present
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