Zaragoza Air Base

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Zaragoza Air Base is a Spanish Air Force Base in Spain. It is located 10mi/16km west of Zaragoza, 168mi/270km west of Barcelona, and 163mi/260km northeast of Madrid.

During the Cold War, Zaragoza was extensively used by the United States Air Force.

The construction work for enlargement and improvement of an existing Spanish Air Force Base near Zaragoza began in September 1954 under supervision of U.S. Navy engineers, with the installation initially designed for temporary or intermediate use as a war standby base. The first U.S. construction project included strengthening the existing 9,921-ft runway and adding 1,000-ft overruns at each end. Work on a new concrete runway, 200 ft by 12,200 ft, with 1,000-ft overruns at each end began in 1956 and was completed in 1958

1 3794th Air Base Group
2 406th Tactical Fighter Wing
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] 3794th Air Base Group

The base was transferred from the control of the Joint U.S. Military Group (JUSMG), Sixteenth AF, to SAC on 1 July 1957, with the base providing operational support for SAC alert force dispersal.

With the arrival of the 531st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron from Wheelus Air Base on 5 September 1958, Zaragoza hosted not only SAC bomber forces but also fighter-interceptor units. This support continued until 1 July 1964, when Zaragoza AB was placed on standby status.

Zaragoza was reduced to modified caretaker status on 1 January 1966 and the facility was reassigned to USAFE on 15 April 1966. USAFE assigned the 7472d Air Base Group as a caretaker organization to the facility.

[edit] 406th Tactical Fighter Wing

With the closure of Wheelus AB in Libya, Zaragoza returned to active status on 19 February 1970. The first aircraft arrived on 9 March 1970, and the base subsequently supported F-102, F-4, and KC-135 operations.

Project CREEK STEP, which began in February 1970, called for the buildup of Zaragoza AB as a USAFE weapons training site, with actual use of the Bardenas Reales Air-to-Ground Bombing and Runnery Range (about 45mi/70km northwest of the base) began in March.

Zaragoza supported DART TOW air-to-air gunnery missions to train detachments of USAFE and Spanish Air Force units, beginning on 1 April 1971, which ended in 1994 when USAFE returned control of the base to the Spanish government.

Today, the base is home to the Spanish air force's 15th Group.