Yên Bái Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) (Không quân Nhân dân Việt Nam) military airfield located north-northwest of Yên Bái.
| Yên Bái Air Base | |
|---|---|
| Part of Vietnam People's Air Force | |
| Coordinates | 21°43′58.8″N 104°51′14.4″E / 21.733000°N 104.854000°E |
| Type | Air Force Base |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |  Vietnam People's Air Force |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1960s |
| In use | 1967-Present |
| Battles/wars |  Vietnam War |
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History
editVietnam War
editOn 15 November 1967 F-105s of the 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron bombed the base as part of a Commando Club guided bombing mission.
In February 1969 the 925th Fighter Regiment was formed at the base operating the MiG-17F and Shenyang J-6.[1]
On 10 May 1972 a VPAF J-6 of the 925th Fighter Regiment ran out of fuel after a combat air patrol mission, deadsticked from an altitude of 1,400 meters, descending too rapidly, and overran the runway overturning and exploding, killing the pilot instantly.[1]: 63
On 1 June 1972 F-4D #65-0784 was shot down by a VPAF J-6 near the base, the weapons system operator Capt Roger Locher successfully evaded capture for 23 days before being rescued.[2]
On 27 September 1972 USAF jets attacked the base, destroying one MiG-21 on the ground and damaging another.[3]
On 30 September 1972 U.S. jets attacked the base destroying two MiG-17s on the ground.[4]
In late 1972 USAF F-111 Aardvark strike bombers attacked the base, rendering it temporarily inoperable, the only time Yên Bái was inoperable during Operation Linebacker II.[5]
Current use
editThe VPAF 931st Fighter Squadron operating Su-22M-4/UM-3K is based at Yên Bái.
References
edit- ^ a b Toperczer, István (2001). MiG-17 and MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War. Osprey Publishing. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-84176-162-6.
- ^ Hukee, Byron (2013). USAF and VNAF A-1 Skyraider Units of the Vietnam War. Osprey Publishing. pp. 43–4. ISBN 9781780960708.
- ^ "Heavy air attacks continue against North Vietnam". The New York Times. 28 September 1972. p. 3.
- ^ "U.S. planes raid 4 bases in North and claim 5 MiG's". The New York Times. 1 October 1972. p. 1.
- ^ "Project CHECO Southeast Asia Report. The F-111 in Southeast Asia, September 1972-January 1973". Directorate of Operations Analysis, CHECO Harvest Division: Pages 49, 50.