Gamal Abdul El Nasser Air Base
Encyclopedia
Gamal Abdul El Nasser Air Base is a Libyan Air Force
' onMouseout='HidePop("82264")' href="/topics/Berber_languages">Berber
: Adwas Alibyan Ujnna) base, located about 16 km south of Tobruk
. It is believed to have once had about 60 or 70 Mirage F.1EDs aircraft assigned.
Prior to 31 March 1970, the base was known as Royal Air Force Station El Adem and used by the RAF primarily as a staging-post. Before the Second World War it had been an Italian Air Force base, and a number of the former Italian buildings were seen to be still extant in 2003 during a courtesy visit by former RAF personnel, at which time no military aircraft were in evidence.
A 2011 Google satellite picture shows a number of delta-winged jets resembling the MiG-21 series parked on the main apron at this air base. Judging from the picture it is hard to determine whether these aircraft are operational or not.
and brought into operational use on 12 December. It was used during World War II
by the British Royal Air Force
and the United States Army Air Force during the North African Campaign
against Axis forces.
USAAF Ninth Air Force
units which used the airfield were:
Today, the airfield is a Libyan Air Force Base. Its World War II configuration is still evident in aerial photography.
Libyan Air Force
The Libyan Air Force is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the 2011 Libyan civil war, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000, with an inventory of 374 combat capable aircraft operating from 13 military airbases in...
' onMouseout='HidePop("82264")' href="/topics/Berber_languages">Berber
Berber languages
The Berber languages are a family of languages indigenous to North Africa, spoken from Siwa Oasis in Egypt to Morocco , and south to the countries of the Sahara Desert...
: Adwas Alibyan Ujnna) base, located about 16 km south of Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
. It is believed to have once had about 60 or 70 Mirage F.1EDs aircraft assigned.
Prior to 31 March 1970, the base was known as Royal Air Force Station El Adem and used by the RAF primarily as a staging-post. Before the Second World War it had been an Italian Air Force base, and a number of the former Italian buildings were seen to be still extant in 2003 during a courtesy visit by former RAF personnel, at which time no military aircraft were in evidence.
A 2011 Google satellite picture shows a number of delta-winged jets resembling the MiG-21 series parked on the main apron at this air base. Judging from the picture it is hard to determine whether these aircraft are operational or not.
World War II
The airfield was largely reconstructed in 1942 by the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and brought into operational use on 12 December. It was used during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by the British Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and the United States Army Air Force during the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
against Axis forces.
USAAF Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
units which used the airfield were:
- 316th Troop Carrier Group, 10 December 1942-January 1943, C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
- 379th Bombardment Squadron, (310th Bombardment Group), 2-26 November 1943, B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
- Attached to 235 Wing, Royal Air Force
Today, the airfield is a Libyan Air Force Base. Its World War II configuration is still evident in aerial photography.