Top 5: The Largest International US Air Force Bases By Area

The largest United States Air Force Bases by area are mostly found in the mainland United States. However, the United States Air Force also operates many sprawling air force bases at strategic points in cooperation with allies and on US territories around the world. Air Force Bases can be measured and ranked in various ways – land size, personnel numbers, or by aircraft. The largest bases by area are not always the same as the air force bases with the most fighter jets.

5

Incirlik Air Base

Incirlik AFB spans 3,320 acres

The US and Turkey have a very complicated relationship that sometimes resembles more that of frenemies than true allies. Still, Turkey is home to one of the largest and most important US Air Force bases in the greater Middle East. Incirlik Air Force is also notable for hosting between 20 and 80 American nuclear bombs.

The United States and Turkey jointly operate the base, one of the most significant bases in the Middle East. While Turkey remained neutral during World War II (only declaring war on Germany at the end of

February 1945 to be on the right side of history), the decision to build an American airbase there was made during the Second Cairo Conference in December 1943 (although construction started after the war). Today, it is home to the Air Force’s 39th Air Base Wing.

4

Ramstein Air Base

Ramstein AFB spans 3,500 acres

Ramstein was built as a keystone logistics hub for US and NATO operations in case the Cold War got hot in Europe. Today, it remains one of the most important hubs for US involvement on the continent. It is the headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe—Air Forces Africa and NATO Allied Air Command. While US focus and strategic thinking are increasingly moving to the East Pacific, Europe (along with the Middle East) remains one of the core regions for US overseas military interests.

Over 16,200 military personnel, US civilians, and contractors are found at Ramstein. Other important bases in Europe include RAF Lakenheath (where four fighter squadrons equipped with F-15Es and F-35As are based), RAF Mildenhall (both in the UK), Spangdahlem Air Base (also in Germany), and Aviano Air Base in Italy.

USAF shares the following about the site:

“Ramstein Air Base is located in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate (aka Rheinland-Pfalz) and is part of the Kaiserslautern Military Community – the largest American community outside of the United States. The 86th Airlift Wing is the host wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The 86th conducts U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s only airlift, airdrop, and aeromedical evacuation flying operations providing rapid mobility and expeditionary combat support for military operations.”

3

Kadena Air Base

Kadena AFB spans 4,900 acres

Kadena Air Force Base is another of the most important overseas bases operated by the United States Air Force. It is based on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa and is often called the “Keystone of the Pacific.” Kadena and Andersen are perhaps the two most important linchpins that underwrite the US ability to project power in the region.

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Kadena is located around 480 miles from the financial capital Chinese city of Shanghai and 465 miles from Taiwan. It is the home of the US Air Force’s 18th Wing and the 353rd Special Operations Wing, among other units. In all, over 20,000 personnel live or work on the base (including servicemembers, family, and Japanese employees)

2

Andersen Air Force Base

Andersen AFB spans 20,000 acres

Andersen Air Force Base may be the largest (by acreage) – and one of the most important – air bases outside the 50 states. Located on Guam in the East Pacific, the airbase is critical to the US Air Force’s ability to project power in the region (and, if necessary, to protect Taiwan). Andersen AFB has been termed an unsinkable aircraft carrier. While no strike air wings are permanently based there, it is set up to be able to receive and service large amounts of US military aircraft – including all types of US strategic bombers. During the Cold War, the US Air Force lost a nuclear bomb near the base (and it remains lost today).

At 20,000 acres, it is a sprawling air base that would likely come under intense missile attack in the event of war in the region. Recent wargaming suggests that the greatest risk to the Air Force is having aircraft destroyed in forward air force bases like Guam. Consequently, the Air Force is now implementing a strategy called Agile Combat Employment.

1

Pituffik Space Base (formally Thule Air Force Base)

Pituffik (Thule) spans an unspecified area

The US Pituffik Space Base in Greenland is mentioned here as something of an outlier. It is the northernmost installation of the US Department of Defense and is not specified by size (although there are some claims it spans a whopping 233,000 acres). Pituffik is some 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 947 miles from the North Pole.

Between 1982 and 2019, it was an important base for the Air Force Space Command, but it became a Space Base after the establishment of the Space Force in 2019. The Space Force states, “Thule Air Base, the Department of Defense’s northernmost installation, has been renamed to Pituffik Space Base in order recognize Greenlandic cultural heritage and better reflect its role in the U.S. Space Force.”