| RAAF Base Amberley | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: none – ICAO: YAMB
RAAF Base
Amberley RAAF Base
Amberley (Queensland) |
|||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Operator | RAAF | ||
| Location | Ipswich, Queensland | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 91 ft / 30 m | ||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 04/22 | 1,523 | 4,997 | Concrete/Asphalt |
| 15/33 | 3,047 | 9,997 | Concrete/Asphalt |
| Source: Enroute Supplement Australia from Airservices Australia[1] | |||
RAAF Base Amberley (ICAO: YAMB) is a Royal Australian Air Force base located 8 km (5.0 mi) southwest of Ipswich, Queensland and 50 km (31 mi) southwest of Brisbane. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron (operating the F/A-18F Super Hornet), No. 33 Squadron (taking delivery of the Airbus KC-30A) and No. 36 Squadron (operating the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III jet transport). Amberley is also home to Army units making up the 9th Force Support Battalion (9FSB). Amberley's largest squadron in terms of personnel is No. 382 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron RAAF (ECSS) providing both garrison and deployed combat support. Amberley is one of only two airfields in Australia (the other being Darwin International Airport) that is listed as an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle[2].
Contents |
RAAF Amberley is the largest operational base in the Air Force, employing approximately 3,500 uniformed and civilian personnel. There are a variety of other formations on the base such as training colleges and maintenance areas. The base is also a Transoceanic Abort (TOA) landing site for the Space Shuttle program.
Amberley is currently undergoing a A$64 million dollar re-development program. By 2015 the RAAF hopes to have Amberley operating as its 'superbase' with flights of F/A-18F Super Hornets, F-35 Lightning II, KC-30A and C-17 Globemaster.
| UNIT | FULL NAME | FEG | AIRCRAFT |
|---|---|---|---|
| HQ82WG | Headquarters No. 82 Wing | Air Combat Group | |
| 1SQN | No. 1 Squadron | Air Combat Group | F/A-18F |
| 6SQN | No. 6 Squadron | Air Combat Group | F/A-18F |
| No. 5 Flight | Air Combat Group | UAV training | |
| 278SQN DET AMB | No. 278 Squadron Detachment Amberley | Air Combat Group | |
| 33SQN | No. 33 Squadron | Air Lift Group | KC-30A |
| 36SQN | No. 36 Squadron | Air Lift Group | C-17 Globemaster III |
| 44WG DET AMB | No. 44 Wing Detachment Amberley | Surveillance and Response Group | |
| HQCSG | Headquarters Combat Support Group | Combat Support Group | |
| 382ECSS | No. 382 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron | Combat Support Group | |
| 1ATS DET AMB | No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron Detachment Amberley | Combat Support Group | |
| HQAFDW | Headquarters Airfield Defence Wing | Combat Support Group | |
| 2AFDS | No. 2 Airfield Defence Squadron | Combat Support Group | |
| 3AFDS(Disbanded) | No. 3 Airfield Defence Squadron (Disbanded) | Combat Support Group | |
| HQHSW | Headquarters Health Services Wing | Combat Support Group | |
| 1EHS | No. 1 Expeditionary Health Squadron | Combat Support Group | |
| HQRTW | Headquarters Reserve Training Wing | Air Force Training Group | |
| 23SQN | No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron | Air Force Training Group | |
| RAAFSFS | RAAF Security and Fire School | Air Force Training Group | |
| HALSPO | Heavy Air Lift Systems Program Office | Defence Materiel Organisation | |
| SRSPO | Strike Reconnaissance Systems Program Office | Defence Materiel Organisation | |
| 9FSB | 9th Force Support Battalion | 17th Combat Service Support Brigade |
During World War II, the airfield became a major American Air Force base during 1942 and 1943. Known Fifth Air Force units assigned to "Amberley Field" were:
In 1943, with the Allies advancing against the Japanese in the southwest Pacific, the American units moved north to forward airfields.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||