| Eielson Air Force Base | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Near Fairbanks, Alaska in the United States of America | |||||||
 An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 18th Aggressor Squadron flies over Eielson AFB during 2009. The base's largest hangar, known as the "Thunderdome," is visible in the bottom left of the image. | |||||||
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  Eielson AFB  Eielson AFB  Eielson AFB | |||||||
| Coordinates | 64°39′56″N 147°06′05″W / 64.66556°N 147.10139°W | ||||||
| Type | US Air Force Base | ||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Department of Defense | ||||||
| Operator | US Air Force | ||||||
| Controlled by | Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) | ||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1943 (as Mile 26 Satellite Field, redesignated 1948 as Eielson AFB) | ||||||
| In use | 1943 – present | ||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||
| Current commander | Colonel Paul P. Townsend[1] | ||||||
| Garrison | 354th Fighter Wing (host) | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: EIL, ICAO: PAEI, FAA LID: EIL, WMO: 702650 | ||||||
| Elevation | 167 metres (548 ft) AMSL | ||||||
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| Source: Federal Aviation Administration[2] | |||||||
Eielson Air Force Base (IATA: EIL, ICAO: PAEI, FAA LID: EIL) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately 26 miles (42 km) southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, and just southeast of Moose Creek, Alaska. It was established in 1943 as Mile 26 Satellite Field and redesignated Eielson Air Force Base on 13 January 1948. It has been a Superfund site since 1989.[3] Eielson AFB was named in honor of polar pilot Carl Ben Eielson.[4]
Its host unit is the 354th Fighter Wing (354 FW) assigned to the Eleventh Air Force of the Pacific Air Forces. The 354 FW's primary mission is to support RED FLAG-Alaska, a series of Pacific Air Forces commander–directed field training exercises for U.S. Forces, joint offensive counter-air, interdiction, close-air support, and large force employment training in a simulated combat environment. These exercises are conducted on the Joint Pacific Alaskan Range Complex (JPARC) with air operations flown out of Eielson and its sister installation, Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson (the former Elmendorf Air Force Base).[5][6]
Eielson projects to have 54 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft assigned to the installation, of which the first two aircraft arrived on 21 April 2020. The last of the aircraft arrived in April 2022.[7][8] The planes come with an estimated 3,500 personnel, to include airmen and their families as well as civilian personnel.[9] The F-35 program increases the number of military personnel at Eielson by approximately 50%, which is a significant change for a base once on the brink of closure.[10]
- ^ "Colonel Paul P. Townsend". Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ "Airport Diagram – Eielson AFB (PAEI)" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ "Eielson Air Force Base". Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ "Eielson Air Force Base – Military Bases". 5 November 2012. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- ^ "Red Flag-Alaska begins". 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions – Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex" https://www.jber.jb.mil/Portals/144/units/JPARC/PDF/JPARC-FAQ.pdf Archived 1 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine Published 2012-02-28.
- ^ Amy Hudson (13 Apr 2022) Eielson Days Away from Achieving Full Complement of F-35s
- ^ "Eielson completes F-35A Lightning II fleet". Eielson Air Force Base. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ Kube, Courtney (13 September 2019). "Trump's plan to pay for border wall with Air Force funds risks national security, report says". NBC News. Archived from the original on 15 September 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- ^ Hanlon, Tegan (12 November 2017). "The first F-35 jet is being tested at Eielson Air Force Base. The Fairbanks area is preparing for a population jump. About $550 million will be spent on construction and renovation projects for the F-35 program. The projects include renovating airmen's dormitories and building a new child care center. There will also be a new building to house a flight simulator and a new maintenance hangar". ADN. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.