Aviano Air Base

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Aviano Air Base
IATA: AVB - ICAO: LIPA
Summary
Airport type		Military
Operator		USAF
Elevation AMSL		410 ft (124 m)
Coordinates		46° 01' 54" N 12° 35' 47" E
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
05/23	9,800	2,987	Concrete

US F-16s at Aviano

Aviano Air Base is a United States Air Force base in Italy. It is located in the northeastern part of Italy, at the foot of the Italian Alps, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Pordenone.

It is the headquarters of the 31st Fighter Wing which conducts and supports air operations in Europe's southern region and to maintain munitions for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and national authorities.

The 31st FW maintains two F-16 fighter squadrons, the 555th and the 510th, capable of conducting offensive and defensive air combat operations as required in support of U.S. and NATO taskings.

1 31st Fighter Wing
2 History
- 2.1 United States Air Force Use
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] 31st Fighter Wing

In peacetime, the 31st Fighter Wing prepares for it's combat role by maintaining its aircraft and personnel in a high state of readiness. The 31st FW also includes the 603rd Air Control Squadron, capable of providing air surveillance, control and communications.

The 31st FW is the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Alps. During a NATO crisis, the wing's operational forces become part of the 5th Allied Tactical Air Force, located at Vicenza, Italy. This, and its strategic location, makes the wing critical to operations in NATO's southern region.

The wing arrived at Aviano Air Base on 1 April 1994 from Homestead Air Force Base Florida, replacing the inactivated the 401st Fighter Wing. The wing was equipped with F-16 Fighting Falcons transferred from Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

The 31st FW Block 40 F-16CG/DGs use the tail code "AV". 510th FS (Buzzards) aircraft have a purple tail stripe; 555th FS (Triple Nickel) aircraft have a green tail stripe.

Beginning in July 1994, the wing provided combat support for NATO's first-ever operational mission, Deny Flight. In August and September 1995, 31st FW F-16s flew more than 400 combat sorties during Operation Deliberate Force. With the formal signing of the Dayton Peace Accord, Operation Deny Flight ended and the wing's emphasis shifted to support what is now Operation Deliberate Forge. And in March 1999, in support of Operation Allied Force, U.S. and allied forces assembled at Aviano Air Base, Italy, to react if called upon by NATO leadership.

The 31st FW also supports three geographically-separated units: The 712th Munitions Squadron and 704th Munitions Support Squadron, Ghedi Air Base, Italy and the 496th Air Base Squadron, Moron Air Base, Spain.

Today, the 31 FW provides and supports dominant, expeditionary air combat in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Currently, the wing accomplishes this goal by deploying people and equipment in support of [[Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

[edit] History

Pre-dating the U.S. Air Force, Aviano Air Base was established by Italy in 1911. During World War I, Italy used the airfield in missions against the Austro-German armies. At that time, two Italian aviators, Captain Maurizio Pagliano and Lieutenant Luigi Gori, conducted an unauthorized, but heroic and successful, air raid on the Austrian naval yards in Pula, in what was then Yugoslavia. In their honor, the base's name was officially changed to Aeroporto Pagliano e Gori, in 1919.

During World War II, both the Italian Air Force and the German Luftwaffe flew missions from Aeroporto Pagliano e Gori. British forces captured the base in 1945; they conducted air operations there until 1947, when the Italian Air Force resumed operational use of the airport. The Italian Air Force used the base until 1954.

[edit] United States Air Force Use

In 1954, the U.S. and Italian governments signed a joint-use agreement that brought the base into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) officially activated the airfield on 15 February 1955 with the activation of the 7207th Air Base Squadron.

Beginning in the 1950s and continuing until 1994, Aviano had no permanent tactical combat aircraft assigned. Instead, the base hosted rotational fighter deployments from Tactical Air Command bases in the United States in support of NATO alert commitments and Air Force weapons-training deployments. The 7227th Combat Support Group was the host unit at Aviano effective 1 December 1957, being replaced by the 40th Tactical Group on 1 April 1966 to handle the rotational units from the United States on a permanent basis.

On 3 February 1998, a jet on a training exercise from Aviano Air Base accidentally severed a cable car's cable over the Alps at Cavalese, Italy, causing 20 deaths. See "Cavalese cable-car disaster".

With the closure of U.S. operations at Torrejon Air Base Spain on 21 May 1992, the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing moved to Aviano, supplanting the 40th Tactical Group. After Hurricane Andrew destroyed Homestead AFB, Florida, the 401st was deactivated and replaced by the 31st Fighter Wing on 1 April 1994.

Allegations have been made that on February 17, 2003 , Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr was kidnapped by CIA agents while he was walking to his mosque in Milan, transported via Aviano Air Base to Alexandria, Egypt and turned over to the custody of Egypt's State Security Intelligence. In 2005 and 2006 Italian authorities issued warrants for dozens of persons they believe are connected to the kidnapping including a security forces commander at Aviano Air Base at the time of the alleged abduction.

[edit] See also

United States Air Forces in Europe

[edit] References

Donald, David, Century Jets - USAF Frontline Fighters of the Cold War.

Endicott, Judy G., USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Office of Air Force History

Fletcher, Harry R., Air Force Bases Volume II, Active Air Force Bases outside the United States of America on 17 September 1982, Office of Air Force History, 1989