Kunsan Air Base
Encyclopedia
Kunsan Air Base , is a United States Air Force
base located on the west coast of the South Korean peninsula bordered by the Yellow Sea
. It is at the town of Gunsan
about 150 miles (240 km) south of Seoul
. The town (군산시 in Korean
) can be romanized as both Gunsan and Kunsan. The United States Air Force uses Gunsan to refer to the town, and Kunsan to refer to the base .
Kunsan Air Base is the home of the 8th Fighter Wing
, "The Wolfpack," assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Seventh Air Force
and the 38th Fighter Group of the Republic of Korea Air Force
. It is one of two major Air Force installations operated by the United States in Korea, the other being Osan Air Base
.
The history of Kunsan Air Base dates back to 1938, when Japan
ese forces occupying Korea built a base near Kunsan for fighter-interceptor aircraft.
The United States
first used the base in 1945, but on a very small scale. From 1945 to 1950, the Army
and later the Air Force
intermittently operated small detachments from Kunsan, with these detachments maintaining liaison aircraft. At most these detachments contained a handful of people. When the United States pulled its combat units out of the Republic of Korea in 1949, it left only a Military Assistance Advisory Group in the country, and the periodic detachments at Kunsan became even more infrequent.
broke out on 25 June 1950, Kunsan Air Base had no United States flying units assigned. In their rapid advance, the invading North Koreans captured Kunsan Air Base on 13 July 1950.
The 24th Infantry Division retook Kunsan in October 1950, and the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) Intervention Campaign that winter failed to push far enough south to put Kunsan in jeopardy. United States forces first operated in significant numbers from the base in 1951.
The first Air Force unit to be assigned to the base was the 27th Fighter-Escort Wing
, which arrived on 1 April 1951. The 27th Fighter Escort Wing was one of the first F-84 units to see combat action in Korea and earned numerous honors and awards for their combat record during the Korean War.
Improvements to the base were needed, however, to accommodate jet fighers. The 27th FEW was reassigned at the end April and The Army's 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion built a 5000 feet (1,524 m) runway to replace the sod runway constructed by Japanese. This runway is now known as Taxiway Charlie (06/24). By August, construction had progressed to the point that heavier units could be based at Kusan and the Air Force assigned the 3rd Bombardment Wing to Kunsan.
The 3rd Bomb Wing flew the Doublas B-26 Invader
bomber during the war, remaining at Kunsan from August 1951 until October 1954. A Marine
aviation squadron, VMF(N)-513, arrived in April 1952, and a few months later the base added the 474th Fighter-Bomber Group, which included three squadrons of F-84 fighters, bringing the total size of the operation to one wing, one group, and a Marine fighter squadron. The 474th bombed and strafed such targets as bunkers, troops, artillery positions, bridges, vehicles, airfields, and power plants, and sometimes escorted bombers that attacked munitions factories and other objectives.
In April 1953, the 474th Fighter-Bomber Group returned to the United States and was replaced by the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing
, also flying the F-84.
During the Korean War, the large number of locations used for bases and the similarity of some geographical names prompted the Air Force to use alphanumeric identifiers for bases in addition to their proper designations. Under this system, each base in Korea received a "K number," simplifying positive identification when referring to the various bases. Kunsan received the number K-8, while Osan Air Base
was also known as K-55.
Until the late 1960s, though, Kunsan remained relatively dormant, hosting temporary deployments of flying units and serving as a safe haven base for aircraft evacuated from Okinawa and Guam during typhoons. In 1965, the Republic of Korea Air Force
assigned a squadron of F-86 fighters to the base. This ROKAF unit was the only permanently assigned flying contingent at Kunsan until after the Pueblo incident
in 1968.
The 354th Tactical Fighter Wing
, flying the F-100 Super Sabre, arrived at Kunsan in July 1968, as part of the buildup of forces in Korea in the wake of the February 1968 seizure of the USS Pueblo
by the North Koreans. In 1969 the wing began a transition from the F-100 to the F-4 Phantom. The 354th remained until June 1970, when the base again returned to hosting temporary deployments, such as the four-month activation of the 54th Tactical Fighter Wing
from June through October 1970.
The 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, previously known as the 3rd Bombardment Wing, stationed at Kunsan in the early 1950s, arrived in March 1971 to assume control of the base. Like the 354th and 54th, the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing flew the F-4 Phantom. When it first arrived in May, the wing contained the 35th and 36th Tactical Fighter Squadrons
. In September, the 80th Tactical Fighter Squadron replaced the 36th.
In September 1974 the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing
, the "Wolf Pack," was transferred from Ubon Air Base, Thailand
to replace the 3rd at Kunsan. The move took place in name only, as the 8th moved without personnel or equipment, absorbing all assets of the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing. This included the two flying squadrons, which continued to operate as the 35th and 80th Tactical Fighter Squadrons, reuniting the wing with two of its original squadrons.
Since then, the 8th has continued to serve as host unit of Kunsan Air Base, continually improving the base’s facilities over the years.
Kunsan has provided support for F-84G Thunderjet, B-26 Invader
, F-86 Sabre, RF-100 Super Sabre, RB-57 Canberra, F-100 Super Sabre
, F-4 Phantom II
, and F-16 Fighting Falcon operations.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base located on the west coast of the South Korean peninsula bordered by the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
. It is at the town of Gunsan
Gunsan
Gunsan is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is located on the south bank of the Geum River just upstream from its exit into the Yellow Sea. Gunsan is served by frequent railway service on the Gunsan Line from Iksan. It is also connected to the Seohaean Expressway.Kunsan Air Base...
about 150 miles (240 km) south of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. The town (군산시 in Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
) can be romanized as both Gunsan and Kunsan. The United States Air Force uses Gunsan to refer to the town, and Kunsan to refer to the base .
Kunsan Air Base is the home of the 8th Fighter Wing
8th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force 8th Fighter Wing is the host unit at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea and is assigned to Seventh Air Force...
, "The Wolfpack," assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Seventh Air Force
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
and the 38th Fighter Group of the Republic of Korea Air Force
Republic of Korea Air Force
The Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea...
. It is one of two major Air Force installations operated by the United States in Korea, the other being Osan Air Base
Osan Air Base
Osan Air Base , is a United States Air Force facility located in the Songtan section of Pyeongtaek City, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, which is to the north. The base is the home of the Pacific Air Forces' 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant...
.
Units
The following major units are stationed at Kunsan Air Base:- 8th Fighter Wing
- 8th Operations Group (Tail Code: WP)
- 35th Fighter Squadron35th Fighter SquadronThe 35th Fighter Squadron is part of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea.-History:The 35th Fighter Squadron heritage dates back to 12 June 1917, when the unit activated as the 35th Aero Squadron. Originally an aircraft maintenance squadron, the unit served in France from...
(35 FS) (F-16C/D, Blue tail stripe) - 80th Fighter Squadron80th Fighter SquadronThe 80th Fighter Squadron is an F-16 fighter squadron of the United States Air Force, currently part of the 8th Operations Group of the 8th Fighter Wing, and stationed at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea.The 80th has served in combat operations in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam...
(80 FS) (F-16C/D, Gold tail stripe)
- 35th Fighter Squadron
- 8th Maintenance Group
- 8th Mission Support Group
- 8th Medical Group
- 8th Operations Group (Tail Code: WP)
- 1st Air Defense Artillery
- Area Defense Counsel
- Armed Forces News Network
- Army and Air Force Exchange Service
- Defense Commissary Agency
- Office of Special Investigations
History
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese forces occupying Korea built a base near Kunsan for fighter-interceptor aircraft.
The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
first used the base in 1945, but on a very small scale. From 1945 to 1950, the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and later the Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
intermittently operated small detachments from Kunsan, with these detachments maintaining liaison aircraft. At most these detachments contained a handful of people. When the United States pulled its combat units out of the Republic of Korea in 1949, it left only a Military Assistance Advisory Group in the country, and the periodic detachments at Kunsan became even more infrequent.
Korean War
When the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
broke out on 25 June 1950, Kunsan Air Base had no United States flying units assigned. In their rapid advance, the invading North Koreans captured Kunsan Air Base on 13 July 1950.
The 24th Infantry Division retook Kunsan in October 1950, and the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) Intervention Campaign that winter failed to push far enough south to put Kunsan in jeopardy. United States forces first operated in significant numbers from the base in 1951.
The first Air Force unit to be assigned to the base was the 27th Fighter-Escort Wing
27th Fighter Wing
The 27th Special Operations Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. It is assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command...
, which arrived on 1 April 1951. The 27th Fighter Escort Wing was one of the first F-84 units to see combat action in Korea and earned numerous honors and awards for their combat record during the Korean War.
Improvements to the base were needed, however, to accommodate jet fighers. The 27th FEW was reassigned at the end April and The Army's 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion built a 5000 feet (1,524 m) runway to replace the sod runway constructed by Japanese. This runway is now known as Taxiway Charlie (06/24). By August, construction had progressed to the point that heavier units could be based at Kusan and the Air Force assigned the 3rd Bombardment Wing to Kunsan.
The 3rd Bomb Wing flew the Doublas B-26 Invader
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
bomber during the war, remaining at Kunsan from August 1951 until October 1954. A Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
aviation squadron, VMF(N)-513, arrived in April 1952, and a few months later the base added the 474th Fighter-Bomber Group, which included three squadrons of F-84 fighters, bringing the total size of the operation to one wing, one group, and a Marine fighter squadron. The 474th bombed and strafed such targets as bunkers, troops, artillery positions, bridges, vehicles, airfields, and power plants, and sometimes escorted bombers that attacked munitions factories and other objectives.
In April 1953, the 474th Fighter-Bomber Group returned to the United States and was replaced by the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing
49th Fighter Wing
The 49th Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 49 WG is part of the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force....
, also flying the F-84.
During the Korean War, the large number of locations used for bases and the similarity of some geographical names prompted the Air Force to use alphanumeric identifiers for bases in addition to their proper designations. Under this system, each base in Korea received a "K number," simplifying positive identification when referring to the various bases. Kunsan received the number K-8, while Osan Air Base
Osan Air Base
Osan Air Base , is a United States Air Force facility located in the Songtan section of Pyeongtaek City, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, which is to the north. The base is the home of the Pacific Air Forces' 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant...
was also known as K-55.
Cold War
After hostilities ceased, the base began to draw down. The F-84 forces of the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing left in November 1953, and by October 1954 the host unit of the base, the 3rd Bombardment Wing, also departed. This left the base with a much-reduced mission. From 1953-1954, the 808th and 841st Engineering Aviation Battalions constructed what is today’s main runway. For the next several years Kunsan merely hosted periodic rotations of fighter and light bomber squadrons, with base facilities maintained and operated by an air base group. In 1957 and 1958, the 6170th Air Base Group began to upgrade base facilities, increasing the runway from 5000 to 9000 ft (1,524 to 2,743.2 m) and building new dormitories.Until the late 1960s, though, Kunsan remained relatively dormant, hosting temporary deployments of flying units and serving as a safe haven base for aircraft evacuated from Okinawa and Guam during typhoons. In 1965, the Republic of Korea Air Force
Republic of Korea Air Force
The Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea...
assigned a squadron of F-86 fighters to the base. This ROKAF unit was the only permanently assigned flying contingent at Kunsan until after the Pueblo incident
USS Pueblo (AGER-2)
USS Pueblo is an American ELINT and SIGINT Banner-class technical research ship which was boarded and captured by North Korean forces on January 23, 1968, in what is known as the Pueblo incident or alternatively as the Pueblo crisis or the Pueblo affair. Occurring less than a week after President...
in 1968.
354th Fighter Wing
The 354th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force wing that is part of Pacific Air Forces . It is the host wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and is assigned to the Eleventh Air Force .-Overview:...
, flying the F-100 Super Sabre, arrived at Kunsan in July 1968, as part of the buildup of forces in Korea in the wake of the February 1968 seizure of the USS Pueblo
USS Pueblo (AGER-2)
USS Pueblo is an American ELINT and SIGINT Banner-class technical research ship which was boarded and captured by North Korean forces on January 23, 1968, in what is known as the Pueblo incident or alternatively as the Pueblo crisis or the Pueblo affair. Occurring less than a week after President...
by the North Koreans. In 1969 the wing began a transition from the F-100 to the F-4 Phantom. The 354th remained until June 1970, when the base again returned to hosting temporary deployments, such as the four-month activation of the 54th Tactical Fighter Wing
54th Tactical Fighter Wing
The 54th Tactical Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force, being stationed at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea...
from June through October 1970.
The 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, previously known as the 3rd Bombardment Wing, stationed at Kunsan in the early 1950s, arrived in March 1971 to assume control of the base. Like the 354th and 54th, the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing flew the F-4 Phantom. When it first arrived in May, the wing contained the 35th and 36th Tactical Fighter Squadrons
36th Fighter Squadron
The 36th Fighter Squadron is part of the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-Mission:...
. In September, the 80th Tactical Fighter Squadron replaced the 36th.
In September 1974 the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing
8th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force 8th Fighter Wing is the host unit at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea and is assigned to Seventh Air Force...
, the "Wolf Pack," was transferred from Ubon Air Base, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
to replace the 3rd at Kunsan. The move took place in name only, as the 8th moved without personnel or equipment, absorbing all assets of the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing. This included the two flying squadrons, which continued to operate as the 35th and 80th Tactical Fighter Squadrons, reuniting the wing with two of its original squadrons.
Since then, the 8th has continued to serve as host unit of Kunsan Air Base, continually improving the base’s facilities over the years.
Major Commands
- US Army Pacific Air Command, (1946–47)
- Far East Air Forces, (1947–57)
- Pacific Air Forces, (1957—present)
Base operating units
- 27th Fighter-Escort Wing, (April - May 1951)
- 931st Engineering Aviation Group (May - August 1951)
- 3d Bombardment Wing (August 1951 - September 1954)
- 6170th Air Base Group (September 1954 - April 1956)
- 6170th Air Base Squadron (April 1956 - March 1959)
- 6175th Air Base Group (March 1959 - August 1968)
- 354th Tactical Fighter Wing (August 1968 - June 1970)
- 6175th Air Base Group (June 1970 - March 1971)
- 3d Tactical Fighter Wing (March 1971 - September 1974)
- 8th Tactical Fighter Wing (September 1974 - present)
Major USAF units assigned
- 27th Fighter-Escort Wing27th Fighter WingThe 27th Special Operations Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. It is assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command...
(April 1951) - 3d Bombardment Wing (August 1951 - October 1954)
- 474th Fighter-Bomber Wing (July 1952 - April 1953)
- 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing49th Fighter WingThe 49th Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 49 WG is part of the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force....
(April - November 1953) - 354th Tactical Fighter Wing354th Fighter WingThe 354th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force wing that is part of Pacific Air Forces . It is the host wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and is assigned to the Eleventh Air Force .-Overview:...
(July 1968 - June 1970) - 54th Tactical Fighter Wing54th Tactical Fighter WingThe 54th Tactical Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force, being stationed at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea...
(June - October 1970) - 3d Tactical Fighter Wing (March 1971 - September 1974)
- 8th Tactical Fighter Wing8th Fighter WingThe United States Air Force 8th Fighter Wing is the host unit at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea and is assigned to Seventh Air Force...
(September 1974–present)
Kunsan has provided support for F-84G Thunderjet, B-26 Invader
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, F-86 Sabre, RF-100 Super Sabre, RB-57 Canberra, F-100 Super Sabre
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
, F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
, and F-16 Fighting Falcon operations.
External links
- Kunsan Air Base, official U.S. Air Force website
- History of Kunsan Air Base