Danang Air Base

Danang Air Base
Name	Danang Air Base
Nearest town	Da Nang
Country	South Vietnam
Type	Air Base
Used	1950s–1975
Condition	Incorporated into Da Nang International Airport

Danang Air Base was a principal air base and aviation hub located adjacent to the city of Da Nang on the central coast of South Vietnam. Established and expanded during the First Indochina War and French colonial operations, it became a major United States Air Force and United States Navy complex during the Vietnam War, hosting fighter, transport, reconnaissance, and support squadrons. The base's strategic position near the South China Sea and the Ho Chi Minh Trail corridor made it central to air operations supporting Operation Rolling Thunder, Operation Linebacker, and other interdiction and close air support campaigns.

History

Danang Air Base originated as an aviation field used by French Air Force elements during the First Indochina War and expanded under the State of Vietnam and later the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. After the Gulf of Tonkin Incident and escalation of American involvement, the United States Department of Defense and Pacific Air Forces undertook major construction programs, converting the field into a multi-runway complex shared by USAF Tactical Air Command units, US Navy carrier support elements, and allied contingents from Royal Australian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, and Republic of Korea Air Force. During the Tet Offensive the base withstood ground assaults and rocket attacks, leading to reinforced defenses coordinated with III Marine Amphibious Force and Army of the Republic of Vietnam units. In the post-war period following the Fall of Saigon, the facility was absorbed into civilian infrastructure and the emergent Socialist Republic of Vietnam aviation system.

Facilities and Layout

The base comprised multiple parallel paved runways, extensive ramp areas, hardened aircraft shelters, and dispersed revetments built by US Army Corps of Engineers and Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (“Seabees”). Support infrastructure included fuel farms constructed under Defense Plant Corporation contracts, maintenance hangars, ordnance depots linked to Pacific Air Materiel Center logistics chains, and air traffic control towers using ICAO-style procedures adapted for combat operations. Adjoining barracks and cantonment areas housed personnel from United States Marine Corps, United States Army, USAF, US Navy, and allied forces including Australian Army Aviation Corps detachments, while perimeter defenses incorporated concertina wire, bunkers, and fixed-wing and rotary-wing forward arming and refueling points (FARPs) used by units from Bell Helicopter and Sikorsky fleets.

Military Operations

Danang served as a launch point for interdiction, close air support, and reconnaissance sorties during Operation Rolling Thunder, Operation Ivory Coast, Operation Prairie, and Operation Starlight. The base supported tactical fighters like the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter, and Vought A-7 Corsair II as well as attack and reconnaissance platforms such as the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, Republic F-105 Thunderchief, and Lockheed RF-4 Phantom II. Heavy airlift operations employed Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Douglas C-47 Skytrain transports, while aerial refueling was provided by Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker assets originating from Andersen Air Force Base and Clark Air Base. Electronic warfare and suppression missions involved EB-66 Destroyer and EB-66C variants linked to Electronic Warfare Squadron tasking, and search and rescue missions coordinated with Air Rescue Service and Pararescue teams.

Units Assigned

Assigned and operating units included squadrons from 7th Air Force, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)-support aviation elements, and marine aviation units under III Marine Amphibious Force command. Notable tenant organizations were 366th Tactical Fighter Wing detachments, 35th Tactical Fighter Wing elements, 610th Tactical Fighter Squadron rotations, 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron FAC teams, and detachments from Marine Aircraft Group 11 and Marine Aircraft Group 13. Allied units included squadrons from the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm, Royal Air Force advisors, and contingents from the Korean People's Army were not present; instead, Republic of Korea Armed Forces aviation elements operated in other corps areas. Logistic and maintenance units included the Pacific Air Logistics Command and Air Materiel Squadron components.

Incidents and Accidents

Throughout its operational life the base experienced rocket, mortar, and sapper assaults during major actions such as the Tet Offensive and Easter Offensive, resulting in aircraft losses and infrastructure damage recorded in after-action reports by USAF Historical Division and VNAF logs. Accidents included runway overruns involving C-130 Hercules transports and ground collisions during high-tempo night operations tied to Linebacker II preparations. Notable incidents involved aircraft shot down over the Gulf of Tonkin or in interdiction missions returning to base, with recovery and casualty coordination managed by Medical Corps and Air Rescue Service elements. Investigations were conducted by Aircraft Accident Investigation Board panels and command safety offices.

Post-war Use and Redevelopment

After 1975 the airfield was incorporated into Da Nang International Airport and repurposed under the Vietnam People's Air Force and civilian aviation authorities of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Redevelopment included construction of new passenger terminals, runway modernization linked to ICAO Annex 14 standards, and conversion of former revetment areas to commercial and industrial zones servicing Da Nang urban expansion. International cooperation projects with entities from Japan International Cooperation Agency and World Bank-linked programs funded infrastructure upgrades, while the site’s wartime heritage became part of regional museums and memorials that reference campaigns like Operation Starlite and events such as the Battle of Hue.

Category:Airports in Vietnam Category:Military installations of the United States in South Vietnam