Gimhae Air Base

{{short description|Airbase in South Korea}} {{For|the civilian use of this facility|Gimhae International Airport}} {{redirect-distinguish|Pusan Air Base|Pusan East Air Base}} {{Infobox airport | name = Gimhae Air Base | nativename = 김해공군기지 | nativename-a = Gimhae Gonggun Kige | nativename-r = Kimhae Konggun Kige | image = UNC-CFC-USFK photo 9E3A0780, Gimhae Gwangju Visit (Flickr id 27422646907).jpg | image-width = | caption = Gimhae Air Base | IATA = PUS | ICAO = RKPK | pushpin_map = South Korea # Asia # North Pacific # Earth | pushpin_label = Gimhae AB | pushpin_mark = Roundel of South Korea.svg | pushpin_marksize = 20 | pushpin_relief = y | type = Military / Public | owner = | operator = [[Republic of Korea Air Force]] | city-served = | location = [[Busan]] | hub = | elevation-f = 6 | elevation-m = 2 | coordinates = {{Coord|35|10|46|N|128|56|18|E|type:airport}} | website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20130519110825/http://www.airport.co.kr/mbs/gimhaeeng/] | metric-rwy = yes | r1-number = 18L/36R | r1-length-f = 9,007 | r1-length-m = 2,745 | r1-surface = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]] | r2-number = 18R/36L | r2-length-f = 10,499 | r2-length-m = 3,200 | r2-surface = [[Concrete]] | stat-year = | stat1-header = | stat1-data = | stat2-header = | stat2-data = | footnotes = Source: Korea Airports Corporation<ref name="KAC">{{cite web|url=http://www.airport.co.kr/mbs/gimhaeeng/|title=Gimhae International Airport|publisher=Korea Airports Corporation|accessdate=21 May 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130519110825/http://www.airport.co.kr/mbs/gimhaeeng/|archivedate=19 May 2013}}</ref> }}

'''Gimhae Air Base''' {{airport codes|PUS|RKPK}} is a [[Republic of Korea Air Force]] (ROKAF) base adjacent to [[Gimhae International Airport]]. Runway 18L/36R is used for military purposes only.

==Units== The base is home to the ROKAF's 5th Tactical Airlift Wing (제5전술공수비행단), comprising: * 251st Tactical Air Support Squadron flying the [[C-130H]] and C-130H-30 * 258th Tactical Support Squadron flying the CN235-100M and CN235-220M * 259th Tactical Air Support Squadron flying the [[UH-60]]P

The ROKAF's 4 [[Boeing 737 AEW&C|Boeing 737 AEW&C ''Peace Eye'']] aircraft were all delivered to the base which is to be the home base for the aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/08/205_92015.html |title=Korea gets 1st early warning aircraft |publisher=[[The Korea Times]] |date=August 1, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811230036/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/08/205_92015.html |archive-date=2011-08-11 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.key.aero/view_article.asp?ID=3965&thisSection=military |title=First ROKAF Peace Eye Boeing 737 AEW&C Delivered |publisher=Key Aero |date= 21 September 2011|accessdate=21 May 2013}}</ref>

Until September 2010 a contingent of United States Air Force personnel of the 607th Materiel Maintenance Squadron served in a co-located operating base on Gimhae Air Base.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/korea/materiel-maintenance-squadron-consolidating-to-k-2-air-base-1.111133|title=Materiel maintenance squadron consolidating to K-2 Air Base|publisher=Stars and Stripes|date=15 July 2010|accessdate=21 May 2013}}</ref>

==History== The base was originally established during the [[Korean War]] as Pusan West (K-1) Air Base and hosted [[United States Air Force]] and [[United States Marine Corps]] units.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196394/k-bases-in-korea/|title=K-Bases in Korea|author=NMUSAF|date=May 12, 2015|publisher=[[National Museum of the United States Air Force]]}}</ref>

On 25 June 1950, 10 divisions of the [[Korean People's Army|North Korean People's Army]] attacked the Republic of Korea. The North Koreans quickly overwhelmed the [[Republic of Korea Army|South Korean Army]] and moved south. Following the passing of [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 83]] on 27 June 1950, [[Harry S. Truman|President Truman]] ordered US forces to defend the Republic of Korea. On 30 June 1950 [[Douglas C-54 Skymaster|C-54s]] of the [[Fifth Air Force]] began transporting a battalion of the [[24th Infantry Division (United States)|24th Infantry Division]] from [[Itazuke Air Base]] to K-1, however the weight of the C-54s damaged the runway and later flights were made using [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|C-47s]]. On 2 July the Battalion, known as Task Force Smith, boarded trains to [[Taejon]] and was destroyed on 4 July in the [[Battle of Osan]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Leary|first=William|title=Anything, Anywhere, Anytime: Combat Cargo in the Korean War |publisher=DIANE Publishing|year=2008|isbn=9781428990555|page=1}}</ref>

On 7 July 1950 two [[Stinson L-5 Sentinel|L-5s]] and an [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|SC-47]] from the [[563d Rescue Group|3rd Air Rescue Squadron]] (3rd ARS) deployed to K-1 from [[Ashiya Air Field|Ashiya AB]] in Japan, but the aircraft proved unsuitable for the terrain and returned to Japan on 16 July.<ref>{{cite book|last=Marion|first=Forrest|title=That Others May Live: USAF Air Rescue in Korea|publisher=Government Printing Office|year=2004|isbn=9780160876257|page=1}}</ref> On 30 August, the 3rd ARS formally organized Detachment F, with six [[Sikorsky H-5|H-5s]] at K-1. Following the success of the [[Inchon landing]] Detachment F moved north to [[Seoul Air Base|Seoul (K-16) Air Base]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historynet.com/the-rise-of-the-helicopter-during-the-korean-war.htm|title=The rise of the helicopter during the Korean War|publisher=History Net|accessdate=22 May 2013|date=2011-01-16}}</ref>

On 24 December 1950 the Air Defense Section of [[Marine Air Support Squadron 2|Marine Tactical Air Control Squadron 2]] was deployed to K-1 to establish a tactical air command center.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.1stmaw.marines.mil/Subordinate-Units/Marine-Air-Control-Group-18/MASS-2/About/|title=Marine Air Support Squadron 2|publisher=United States Marine Corps|accessdate=22 May 2013}}</ref>

By April 1951 K-1 served as the headquarters of the [[1st Marine Aircraft Wing|First Marine Air Wing]] and [[Marine Aircraft Group 12]] was based at K-1 to provide aircraft for combat missions and special missions. [[VMA-513]] flying [[Grumman F7F Tigercat|F7Fs]] and [[Vought F4U Corsair|F4U-5Ns]] were flying out of K-1 and providing the sole night fighter air defense and interdiction support to all UN forces in Korea.

On 31 May 1951 a US Navy [[Douglas C-54 Skymaster|R5D-3]] #56513 hit a mountain at the end of the base killing all 5 passengers and crew.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19510530-0|title=ASN Aircraft Accident Douglas R5D-3|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|accessdate=22 May 2013}}</ref>

In November 1951 the 1903rd Aviation Engineer Battalion arrived at K-1 and relieved the [[1st Marine Aircraft Wing|First Marine Air Wing]] of all responsibilities for maintaining the base and runways. Maintenance responsibility was later assumed by the 366th Aviation Battalion.

[[File:Tachikawa Ki-9 - Aircraft.jpg|thumb|right|A ROKAF Tachikawa Ki-9 at K-1 in 1951]]

From October to December 1952, the [[17th Training Wing|17th Bombardment Wing]] was based at K-1 to allow for the resurfacing of the [[Pusan East (K-9) Air Base]] runway from [[Marsden Matting|PSP]] to asphalt.

The base was the venue of a bilateral meeting between [[Donald Trump|President Trump]] and [[Xi Jinping|President Xi]] on October 30, 2025, where the two leaders agreed to ease trade restrictions between the U.S. and China, especially regarding [[Rare-earth element|rare-earths]] and [[Tariff|tariffs]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-10-30 |title=Trump lowers tariffs on China to 47% after meeting with Xi |url=http://www.euronews.com/2025/10/30/trump-announces-deal-with-china-after-face-face-talks-with-xi-in-south-korea |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=euronews |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Fadel |first=Leila |date=2025-10-30 |title=Trump, Xi and the U.S.-China Relationship |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/10/30/nx-s1-5591370/trump-xi-and-the-u-s-china-relationship |access-date=2025-10-31 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:South Korean air bases]] [[Category:Korean War air bases]]