Lajes Air Base

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{| class="infobox bordered" style="width: 220px; font-size: 95%;" |- ! colspan="4" style="text-align: center; background-color: #4682B4; color: white;" |Lajes Air Base |- |align="center" colspan="4"|

Lajes Air Base Diagram

Lajes Air Base (or Air Base NR4), , is a United States Air Force facility located on Terceira Island in the Azores, Portugal.

Contents

1 History

1.1 World War II
1.2 Post-War

2 References
3 External links

History

After the Achada airfield was condemned due to its inadequate dimensions and the adverse weather conditions a different site for an airfield was chosen on Terceira in 1934. This site was the plainland of Lajes, the present site of Air Base 4 and Lajes Field. The Portuguese Military Service constructed a landing strip of packed earth and a small group of support facilities.

World War II

During World War II, the Portuguese government expanded the runway and sent additional troops and equipment to Lajes including Gloster Gladiator aircraft. The military activities in the Azores grew in 1942 as the Gladiators evolved into flying cover missions for allied convoys, reconnaissance missions and meteorological flights. Also in July 1942, the first JU52 arrived flying cargo transportation missions. The Portuguese government allied with the United States and Britain to use the field during the war.

In 1943, the British were allowed basing rights in Portugal and took over Lajes Field. The Azores permitted British aircraft to protect Allied shipping in the Atlantic.

On December 1, 1943, British and U.S. military representatives at Lajes Field signed a joint agreement outlining roles and responsibilities for U.S. military presence at Lajes Field. The plan set forth guidelines for U.S. ferried and transport aircraft to make a limited number of landings at Lajes Field. In return, the United States agreed to assist the British in improving and extending existing facilities at Lajes. Air Transport Command aircraft began landing at Lajes Field immediately after the agreement was signed. By the end of June 1944 more than 1,900 American aircraft had passed through this Azorean base. By using Lajes Field it was possible to reduce flying time between the United States and North Africa from 70 hours to 40 hours.

Post-War

The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of both Lajes to Portugal in 1946. The Portuguese resdesignated Lajes as Air Base 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 the U.S. and Portuguese governments giving the U.S. military rights to Lajes Field for an additional 18 months. The relationship between the Portuguese and U.S. still exists today. Lajes Field remains Portuguese Air Base 4 under the direction of Headquarters Azores Air Zone commanded by Portuguese brigadeiro (equal to a U.S. two-star general). The U.S. military resides at Lajes under tenancy status.

In 1953, the Commander-in-Chief, United States Atlantic Command organized a subordinate unified command in the Azores called U.S. Forces Azores (USFORAZ). A small staff of Navy, Army and Air Force personnel comprised the joint staff of USFORAZ. It is the liaison between the U.S. and the Portuguese in the Azores.

In the late 1950s tanker aircraft were stationed at Lajes to provide en route refueling support to aircraft transiting the Atlantic Ocean. The tanker units had all left Lajes by 1965. This coupled with newer aircraft with overflight capabilities caused a gradual decline in Lajes traffic.

During the Yom Kippur War Lajes Field supported missions to Israel. This confirmed the importance of the Air Force maintaining basing facilities at Lajes.

In 1980, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island. damage to Lajes Field was minimal, however there was extensive destruction to Portuguese communities throughout the island. Military personnel responded with food, shelter, equipment and manpower.

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

Lajes supported the massive airlift during the Gulf War. On the first day of the deployment over 90 aircraft transited Lajes. Strategic Air Command staged a provisional tanker wing 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 from Air Mobility Command, to Air Combat Command.

On August 24, 2001, Air Transat Flight 236 between Toronto, Canada and Lisbon make an emergency landing at Lajes after running out of fuel with no loss of life. The Airbus A330 had 293 passenger and 13 crew members.

Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft. Beginning in 1997, large fighter aircraft movements called Air Expeditionary Forces filled the Lajes flightline. Lajes also has hosted B-52 and B-1 bomber aircraft en route from global air missions. Lajes also supports many routine NATO exercise, such as the biennial Northern Viking exercise.

[Directly taken from the Lajes Field AB website (public domain).]

References

Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 8 June 2006 to 0901Z 3 August 2006.

External links

[Lajes Air Base Official Home Page]

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