Clark Air Base

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Clark Air Base
Part of the United States Air Force and Philippine Air Force
Located at the Clark Freeport Zone, Philippines
Clark Air Base in 1989 as part of United States Pacific Air Forces
Coordinates	15°11′09″N 120°33′35″E / 15.18583°N 120.55972°E / 15.18583; 120.55972 (Clark Air Base)
Type	Air base
Site information
Owner	Philippines
Controlled by	Philippine Air Force
Condition	Renovated
Site history
Built	September 1, 1903
Built by	United States
In use	United States 1903–1942  Japan 1942–1945  United States 1945–1991  Philippines 1991–present
Garrison information
Garrison	1st Air Division 410th Maintenance Wing 420th Supply Wing 600th Air Base Wing 710th Special Operations Wing Air Force Logistics Command Air Force Reserve Command

Airfield information
IATA: CRK ICAO: RPLC
Summary
Elevation AMSL	148 m / 484 ft
Coordinates	15°11′09″N 120°33′35″E / 15.18583°N 120.55972°E / 15.18583; 120.55972
Map
CRK/RPLC Location of Clark Air Base in the Philippines
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 02R/20L 3,200 10,499 Asphalt/concrete 02L/20R 3,200 10,499 Asphalt/concrete

Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base in Luzon, located 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Angeles City, and about 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was previously a United States military facility, operated by the U.S. Air Force under the aegis of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and their predecessor organizations from 1903 to 1991. The base covered 14.3 square miles (37 km²) with a military reservation extending north that covered another 230 square miles (600 km²).

The base was a stronghold of the combined Philippine and American forces during the final months of World War II, and a backbone of logistical support during the Vietnam War until 1975. Following the departure of American forces in 1991 due to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo and rejection by the Philippine Senate for renewing the presence of U.S. military bases in the Philippines,^[1][2][3] the base became the site of Clark International Airport, as well as the Clark Freeport Zone and the Air Force City of the Philippine Air Force.

In April 2016, an Air Contingent of USAF A-10s and HH-60s was deployed from U.S. air bases in Pyeongtaek and Okinawa to Clark. The Air Contingent included five A-10C Thunderbolt IIs from the 51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB, South Korea; three HH-60G Pave Hawks from the 18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan; and approximately 200 personnel deployed from multiple Pacific Air Force units.^[4] The primary mission of the contingent appears to be to patrol disputed South China Sea islands, "to provide greater and more transparent air and maritime domain awareness to ensure safety for military and civilian activities in international waters and airspace."^[4] The air contingent builds upon previous deployments by U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft to Clark.