Naval Air Station Oceana

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Naval Air Station Oceana
Apollo Soucek Field
Virginia Beach, Virginia in the United States
F/A-18D Hornets of VFA-106 performs a section take-off from NAS Oceana during 2003.
NAS Oceana Location in the United States Show map of the United States NAS Oceana NAS Oceana (Virginia) Show map of Virginia
Coordinates	36°49′14″N 76°02′00″W / 36.82056°N 76.03333°W / 36.82056; -76.03333
Type	Naval Air Station (Master jet base)
Site information
Owner	Department of Defense
Operator	US Navy
Controlled by	Navy Region Mid-Atlantic
Condition	Operational
Website	Official website
Site history
Built	1941 – 1943 (1943)
In use	1943 – present
Garrison information
Current commander	Captain Josh Appezzato
Garrison	Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: NTU, ICAO: KNTU, FAA LID: NTU, WMO: 723075
Elevation	6.7 metres (22 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 5R/23L 3,660 metres (12,008 ft) asphalt/concrete 5L/23R 2,438.4 metres (8,000 ft) asphalt/concrete 14R/32L 2,438.4 metres (8,000 ft) asphalt/concrete 14L/32R 2,438.4 metres (8,000 ft) asphalt/concrete
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana or NAS Oceana (IATA: NTU, ICAO: KNTU, FAA LID: NTU) is a United States Navy Naval Air Station located in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The station is located on 23.9 square kilometers. It has total of 250 aircraft deployed and buildings valued at $800 million in plant replacement value. The total Navy community (which includes spouses) numbers around 20,000 people.^[2]

The base is under the jurisdiction of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic and is the headquarters of Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic and Carrier Air Wings 1, 3, 7 and 8. As home to all East Coast strike fighter jet squadrons, the Naval Air Station is classified as a master jet base.

The airfield is known as Apollo Soucek Field, named after Lieutenant (later Admiral) Apollo Soucek, a Navy test pilot who set the global altitude record in 1930 by flying a Curtiss "Hawk" biplane to an altitude of 43,166 feet.

Constructed in 1941, and officially commissioned in 1943, NAS Oceana has been home to carrier-based aircraft since its inception. The field serves as home for 14 deployable Strike Fighter squadrons operating the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, a Strike Fighter Fleet Replacement Squadron, an adversary squadron, and a logistics squadron. Additionally, NAS Oceana operates Dam Neck Annex, a separate military installation that is home to other non-flying commands, including various school houses, and Naval Auxiliary Landing Field Fentress, a practice carrier landing field, in nearby Chesapeake, Virginia. The air station is not open to the public except one weekend each year, usually in September, when it hosts the NAS Oceana Air Show.