Volkel Air Base

Infobox Airport
name = Volkel Air Base
nativename =
nativename-a =
nativename-r =

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image-width =
caption =
IATA = UDE
ICAO = EHVK
type = Military
owner =
operator = Royal Netherlands Air Force
city-served =
location = Uden
elevation-f = 72
elevation-m = 22
coordinates = Coord|51|39|26|N|05|41|27|E|type:airport|display=inline,title
website =
metric-elev =
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 06L/24R
r1-length-f = 9,928
r1-length-m = 3,026
r1-surface = Asphalt
r2-number = 06R/24L
r2-length-f = 9,934
r2-length-m = 3,028
r2-surface = Asphalt
stat-year =
stat1-header =
stat1-data =
stat2-header =
stat2-data =
footnotes =

Volkel Air Base (Dutch: Vliegbasis Volkel) is a military airfield used by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) and is located near the town of Uden in the Netherlands. It is home to three Fokker F-16 Fighting Falcon squadrons, 311, 312 and 313. It also serves as a maintenance and logistical base for the RNLAF and houses the 703rd Munition Support Squadron, part of the 52d Fighter Wing from the United States Air Force.

Volkel Air Base is one of several military airfields in the Netherlands and one of the three major operational bases of the RNLAF, the other two being Leeuwarden Air Base and Gilze-Rijen Air Base. Together with these, it also hosts the public viewing days of the RNLAF, held annually at one of these three airfields, having both an airshow and static display of various military and civilian aircraft.

The airport has two parallel runways, both in the 06/24 direction and both being just over 3,000 meters (or just over 9,900 feet) long. 06L/24R is 45 meters wide and capable of handling larger aircraft. 06R/24L is narrower at only 23 meters wide.

History

After the occupation of the Netherlands by Germany in 1940, the Luftwaffe constructed a diversion airfield for fighter aircraft called "Nachtlandeplatz Volkel". Later during the war, in 1943, the airfield was turned into an operational Luftwaffe base and renamed "Fliegerhorst Volkel". It was home to the 5e Zerstörer Gruppe operating the Junkers Ju 88 and the 3e Gruppe Jagdgeschwader 7 operating the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter aircraft. A second jet-powered aircraft, the Arado Ar 234 Bomber, landed in the morning of august 30th 1944 and flew bombing missions out of Volkel for about a week. V-1 flying bombs were also fired from Volkel. To defend the base against aerial attacks, the Germans had installed flak guns, but it was still bombed extensively. Attacks in 1944 in relation to Operation Market Garden caused such extensive damage to the airport that it could no longer be used by the Luftwaffe.

When later that year the south of the Netherlands was liberated the Royal Air Force took control of the airfield. Though the Germans had destroyed most of the remaining airport facilities, the RAF continued to use the airport for the remainder of the war, operating Hawker Typhoon and Hawker Tempest aircraft from Volkel in support of the allied advance into Germany. French ace Pierre Clostermann, at the time a flight commander in 122 Wing, provides a detailed description of operations from Volkel in early 1945 in his book "The Big Show".

The Dutch Naval Aviation Service started flying from Volkel in 1949 for training purposes. In 1950, the Royal Netherlands Air Force took control of the airfield, restoring it to an operational fighter base. Gloster Meteor aircraft were the first jet aircraf to be based at Volkel for the RNAF. Later came the Republic F-84 Thunderjet and Thunderstreak, which were eventually replaced by the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the first supersonic aircraft of the RNAF. In the 1970s, airport facilities were improved and protective hangars were constructed for the aircraft. Between 1982 and 1984, the Starfighters were slowly replaced by the F-16 Fighting Falcons that are currently based at Volkel, which were manufactured under license by Fokker. [Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (BHIC), [http://www.bhic.nl/index.php?id=4134 Verhalen: Vliegbasis Volkel] (Dutch only), article retrieved October 26, 2007.] The current F-16 aircraft are expected to be replaced by the F-35 Lightning II.

Possible nuclear weapons

It is believed that since 1965 USAF nuclear weapons are stored at Volkel Air Base. Formerly storage took place in a special ammunition storage on the north side of the base and in a heavily defended quick reaction alert area but since 1991 the WS3 weapon storage and security system is operational in the floors of the aircraft shelters. The Dutch ministry of defense never officially acknowledges or denies such claims. [Dutch Ministry of Defense (2005), http://www.mindef.nl/actueel/parlement/kamervragen/2005/1/20050309_vanvelzennucleair.aspx response to questions of member of parliament van Velzen regarding the presence of nuclear weapons] , page retrieved October 26, 2007.] The USAF 703rd Munition Support Squadron seems to be in charge of maintaining and securing the weapons. At present (2008) 22 B61 nuclear bombs are in storage at Volkel to be used by the Dutch 311 and 312 F-16 squadron at the base. [Natural Resources Defense Council, [http://www.nrdc.org/nuclear/euro/euro_app.pdf U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe] , article retrieved October 26, 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://www.luchtmacht.nl/volkel/ Volkel Air Base official website] (Dutch only)
* [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?placesearch=Uden%20-%20Volkel%20%28UDE%20%2F%20EHVK%29&distinct_entry=true Airliners.net - Photos taken at Volkel Air Base]