Grand Forks Air Force Base

Grand Forks Air Force Base
Near Grand Forks, North Dakota in United States of America
Arrival of the first Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk at Grand Forks AFB in May 2011
Arrival of the first Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk at Grand Forks AFB in May 2011
Grand Forks AFB is located in North Dakota
Grand Forks AFB
Grand Forks AFB
Shown in North Dakota
Grand Forks AFB is located in the United States
Grand Forks AFB
Grand Forks AFB
Grand Forks AFB (the United States)
Coordinates47°57′50″N 097°24′04″W / 47.96389°N 97.40111°W / 47.96389; -97.40111
TypeUS Air Force Base
Site information
OwnerDepartment of Defense
OperatorUS Air Force
Controlled byAir Combat Command (ACC)
ConditionOperational
Websitewww.grandforks.af.mil/
Site history
Built1955 (1955) – 1957
In use1957 – present
Garrison information
Garrison319th Reconnaissance Wing
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: RDR, ICAO: KRDR, FAA LID: RDR, WMO: 727575
Elevation277.6 metres (911 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
17/35 3,764.5 metres (12,351 ft) asphalt
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) (IATA: RDR, ICAO: KRDR, FAA LID: RDR) is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado and 16 miles (26 km) west of Grand Forks.

The host unit is the 319th Reconnaissance Wing (319 RW) assigned to the Air Combat Command (ACC) operating E/RQ-4B Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) role. During the Cold War, GFAFB was a major installation of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), with B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, and Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles.[2]

  1. ^ "Airport Diagram – Grand Forks AFB (KRDR)" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  2. ^ "History of Grand Forks AFB" (PDF). U.S. Air Force. 21 February 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2014.