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Lajes Airport
Airport Directory » Portugal » Terceira » Lajes AirportLajes Field or Lajes Air Base (Portuguese: Base Aérea dassie Lajes), officially denominated Air Base No. four (Base Aérea Nº four, BA4) (IATA: TER, ICAO: LPLA), is a Portuguese Air Force installation place to the Azores Air Zone Command (Comando da Zona Aérea dos Açores) Base Aérea nº four and to a United States Air Force disengagement, and turn up near Lajes on Terceira Island in the Azores, Portugal. Located approximately 2,300mi (3,680 kilometre) east of New York City and approximately 1,000mi (1,600 kilometre) due west of Lisbon, Portugal, the ground sits in a strategical place midway between North America and Europe in the North Atlantic Ocean. The USAF division of the ground is functioned by the 65th Air Base Wing of United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE).
History
The beginning of the Lajes Field dates dorsum to 1928, when Portuguese Army Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo Gomes da Silva composed a account on the possible building of an field in the plainland of Lajes, on the island of Terceira, for that subdivision's air power service (Aeronáutica Militar). However, the place of Achada on the island of São Miguel was selected or else at the clip for the building of the field. In 1934, the Achada field was excoriated due to its unequal dimensions and adverse weather condition, ensuing in the building of a districting strip of packed globe and a little group of back up installations by the Portuguese armed forces at Lajes, Terceira island.
World War II
During World War II, the appellation of the field was modified to Air Base No. five and the Portuguese authority spread out the landing track and directed military personnel and equipment to Lajes, including Gloster Gladiator scrapper. The armed forces actions in the Azores turned in 1942 as the Gladiators shape up into winging cover for allied convoys, reconnaissance mission, and meteorologic voyages. Also in July 1942, the 1st Portuguese Ju 52 get to wing load missionary post.
In 1943, the British and American armed services were let found rights in Portugal, and the RAF took over Lajes Field. The Azores allowed British and American planes to protect Allied shipping in the mid-Atlantic.
On one December 1943, British and U.S. armed forces representatives at Lajes Field signed a joint understanding adumbrating offices and duties for an American USAAF and Navy office at Lajes Field. The program expound guideposts for U.S. for ferry and transport aeroplanes to do a limited figure of landings at Lajes Field. In return, the United States held to attend to the British in better and continuing being installations at Lajes. Air Transport Command transport aeroplanes start out districting at Lajes Field like a shot after the understanding was signed. By the finish of June 1944, more than 1,900 American planes had passed through this Azorean ground. By using Lajes Field, the winging clip between the United States and North Africa is able to be cut from 70 60 minutes to 40 60 minutes - because planes is able to wing direct to North Africa or else of having to use the more circuitous air path cut across the Atlantic between Brazil and West Africa.
Post-War
The United States and the United Kingdom reassigned command of Lajes to Portugal in 1946. The Portuguese redesignated Lajes as Air Base No. four and portioned it to the air arm of the Portuguese Army. However, speaks between the U.S. and Portugal get down approximately continuing the American remain in the Azores. A impermanent understanding was hit between the U.S. and Portuguese authorities giving the U.S. armed forces rights to Lajes Field for an additional 18 calendar month. The human relationship between the Portuguese and U.S. still is currently. Lajes Field stays Portuguese Air Base four under the way of Headquarters Azores Air Zone commanded by Portuguese Air Force brigadeiro (equal to a U.S. two-star general). The U.S. armed forces domiciles at Lajes under occupancy position.
In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization armed forces confederation was constituted. Portugal, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and various (other) western European lands were charter member of NATO. By ground of the NATO confederation, Lajes was available for use by those commonwealths, and the use of Lajes was 1 of Portugal's primary shares to the confederation. Similarly, Iceland supplied the use of Keflavík International Airport as its principal part to NATO.
In 1953, the Commander-in-Chief, United States Atlantic Command formed a foot soldier united bid in the Azores named U.S. Forces Azores (USFORAZ). A little staff of United States, United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps force composed the joint staff of USFORAZ, assisting as the involvement between the U.S. and the Portuguese in the Azores.
In the late 1950s, USAF air refueling/oil tanker aircraft were posted at Lajes to furnish inflight refueling for U.S. aircraft transiting the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the oil tanker units go forth Lajes by 1965, but others come back after, particularly the USAF KC-135 Stratotanker. This conveyance, matched with the unveiling of newer aircraft with longer bushes, do a gradual worsen in Lajes traffic. The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) and its replacement, the Military Airlift Command (MAC), got responsible for USAF actions at the ground, and for a while the 1605th Military Airlift Support Wing acted as USAF host unit.
Lajes Field also played a important part in Cold War political relation. From 1932 to 1968, Portugal was under the tyranny of Oliveira Salazar, but the U.S. Government had friendly relations with him, particularly from 1943 on. With arising postwar stresses between the East and the West, the United States understood the importance of Lajes Field and stay close friends with the Salazar Government of Portugal, and farther alongside.
Another eminent Cold War functioning at Lajes regarded the U.S. Navy, which constituted Naval Air Facility Lajes (NAF Lajes) as a renter action at the air ground. NAF Lajes, and its linked Tactical Support Center (TSC) / Antisubmarine Warfare Operations Center (ASWOC), back up rotational disengagements of U.S. Navy P-2 Neptune and afterward P-3 Orion marine patrol aircraft that would landing track Soviet assail, guided missile, and ballistic missile pigboats in the district. With the break of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, and finish of the Cold War, P-3 functioning at Lajes worsened, and the Naval Air Facility was disestablished in the late 1990s.
During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Lajes Field had also back up U.S. lift missionary post to Israel, play up the importance of the U.S. Air Force having a ground at Lajes.
In 1976, a Venezuelan Air Force C-130 Hercules crashed while trying an emergency districting during Hurricane Emi. On final draw close, a air current blast banged the aircraft into a hillside, assassination all 68 mortals aboard. Most of the riders were fellow member of the pupil chorus of the University of Caracas who were on a European concert tour.
In 1980, an quake measure out 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island. Damage to Lajes Field was minimum, but Portuguese communities throughout the island endured extensive damage. Military force reacted with nutrient, shelter, equipment, and hands.
In the summertime of 1984, Lajes set about a new missionary station known as "SILK PURSE." Boeing EC-135s set about functioning out of Lajes Field as an airborne general headquarters for the U.S. Commander-in-Chief, Europe. Along with the aircraft come up the U.S. European Command fight staff and voyage crews from United States Air Forces in Europe. This missionary post was ended in late August 1991.
Lajes back up the big lift during the Gulf War. On the 1st solar day of the deployment over 90 aircraft transited Lajes. Strategic Air Command (SAC) made a provisional tank ship wing, the 802nd Air Refueling Wing (Provisional), at Lajes to back up the lift. At the tallness of the functioning a extremum of 33 oil tanker aircraft and 600 military personnel deployed to Lajes. Soon after the Gulf War finished, Lajes dictation modified from Air Mobility Command, to Air Combat Command.
On August 24, 2001, Air Transat Flight 236 between Toronto, Canada, and Lisbon do an emergency districting at Lajes with no loss of life - after run out of fuel over the Atlantic and gliding approximately 120 kilometre (75 land mile). The Airbus A330 had 293 riders and 13 crew member on board.
The Portuguese inhabitant Squadron 711 Albatrozes "Albatrosses" was deactivated November 30 2006. With this move the long assisting Aerospatiale Puma was retired from service with disposal being 1 salted away at Lajes 1 at the Museum at Sintra and the staying 8 eggbeaters location in storage at Air Base nº 11, Beja.
The Puma eggbeaters were replaced by the modern AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin, Portugal having bought 12 representatives for SAR, CSAR and Fisheries protection. Air Base four had 3 representatives on lasting disengagement from Esquadra 751 "Pumas" from Air Base nº6 at Montijo, near Lisbon.
They saw immediate service get down December 1 2006 one time taking over from the Puma. However, dentition upkeep jobs evolved in the next come up calendar month which, matched with a deficit of spare divisions from the maker, guided to such a low serviceble value that pressured the Portuguese Air Force to get out the Merlin from the Azores. The last detached representative winged dorsum to Montijo March 19th 2009.
In say not to via medium the SAR missionary post, the Portuguese Air Force make up one's mind to reactivate the Puma fleet so, in July 2008 a formation of 4 Puma eggbeaters do the of all time trans atlantic cover from Beja to Lajes via Porto Santo and Santa Maria islands.
Nowadays the Portuguese Air Force has 1 ground SAR squadron Esquadra 752 (reactivated in say to house this "new" Puma rent of life) functioning 5 representatives of the venerable but ubiquitous and dependable Aerospatiale Puma winging patients amongst the islands, from ships as good as SAR missionary station and other transport obligations. There is also a long stand up CASA C-212 Aviocar disengagement from mainland Esquadra 401 "Cientistas".
In the next 5 yr it is anticipated to return the entire Merlin fleet to full operational position ease up to the definitive retirement of the Puma eggbeaters.
In 2009 Lajes holds playing a vital part in deliver back up of shipping lanes across the atlantic, as a safe haven for medical or mechanical emergency state of affairs fall out in aircraft cover the atlantic and also back up the USAF elongating runs in Iraq and Afghanistan, with scrapper, tank ship and transport aeroplanes often halt by either east or westbound winging. The next decennium anticipates to see a go up in the figure of U.S. Department of Defense aircraft to theodolite Lajes back up the new made AFRICOM.
The ground also back up other NATO and non NATO armed services plus when tracking the atlantic for transport, VIP, exercise, assuagement or humanitarian obligations.
The civilian depot also plays an eminent office in back up of rider and shipment airliners, executive director, corporate and private jet plane winging to the island or beyond as the central place in the Azores group of islands makes it an idealistic topographic point for refuelling or way station. In the past 5 yr big Antonov 124 and Antonov 225 aircraft have been seen often transporting outsized freight for destinations in northward and South America.
Civilian operators may use Terceira airport/Lajes Air Base after calling for a districting allow consorting to the patterns grave in the AIP ( Aeronautical Information Publication) for Portugal, bring out by the Portuguese Directorate of Civilian Aviation (INAC). A transcript is able to be read off at http://www.nav.pt/three-toed sloths/candle
Current position
Lajes supplies back up to 15,000 aircraft including scrapper from the US and 20 other allied lands each yr. The geographical place has do this airbase strategically eminent to both America's and NATO's conflict contending capableness. In addition, a little commercial air power depot deals scheduled and leased voyages from North America and Europe, particularly mainland Portugal. It also manages commercial air traffic with the other islands in the Azorean archipelago and transatlantic refuelling and way station for commercial air hose, executive director and corporate jet plane, air freight hauliers, little private aircraft, governmental voyages, improver missionary post, and other voyages.
Today, Lajes elongates to back up transiting aircraft. Beginning in 1997, big scale attack aircraft moves under the new USAF functioning conception known as the Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) fill up the Lajes flightline. Lajes also has hosted B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bomber aircraft on global air missionary post, and also back up many routine NATO exercises, such as the two-year Northern Viking exercise. Lajes Field services aircraft from various states, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The field is an alternative districting location for the NASA Space Shuttle artificial satellite and also currently plays as the number 1 recreation airport for medical or mechanical emergency recreation state of affairs for anybody kind of planes. An yearly mean of 50 recreations of anybody type use Lajes as a mid Atlantic safe haven.
In August, 2006, Portuguese press agency accounted that both authorities were in treatments for a new understanding that is able to let the use of Lajes for the preparation of a lasting F-22 Raptor squadron. Since 1943, the use of Lajes by the U.S. armed forces has let Portugal to fortify diplomatic relations with the U.S. as good as obtain armed forces equipment for the Portuguese armed services, including 2 A-7P Corsair II squadrons and the co-finance of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft under the Peace Atlantis I programme.
Scheduled services
- SATA Air Açores (Flores Island, Graciosa Island, Horta, Pico Island, Ponta Delgada, Sao Jorge Island). From Ponta Delgada onwards connexions are available by SATA International to Madeira Islands, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands and to London, Manchester, Newcastle (seasonal), Dublin, Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Boston, Providence, Oakland, Montreal and Toronto
- SATA International (Boston, Oakland and Toronto , Lisbon and forwards)
- TAP Air Portugal (Coneections through Lisbon)
Tenant units
United States Air Force
Lajes Field is the place of the 65th Air Base Wing, which in turn is foot soldier to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The wing supplies ground and en path back up for United States Department of Defense, NATO, and other clear aircraft transiting the installing.
In addition to the 65th Air Base Wing, other units at Lajes Field include U.S. Army Military Traffic Management Command’s 1324th Military Port Command, U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command’s 729th Air Mobility Support Squadron, Detachment six of the Air Force News Agency, Detachment 250 - Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Defense Property Disposal Office, and the Defense Commissary Agency.
Lajes Field is also the place of the 65th Communication Squadron, which supplies communicating in the characteristic of ground wireless, solid ground radio detection and ranging,SatCom (Satellite Communications), and cryptanalysis to the ground.
Portuguese Air Force
- 752 Sqn. "Pumas" — hunt and deliver squadron
-
Azores Aerial Detachment
- 401 Sqn. "Cientistas" Flight
Original article.