Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed Air Base is a
Tunisian Air Force
The Tunisian Air Force ( ar, جيش الطيران, french: Armée de l'Air) is one of the branches of the Tunisian Armed Forces.
History
The Tunisian Air Force was established in 1959, three years after Tunisia regained its independence from ...
base located approximately 7 km west of Menzel Abderhaman, and 9 km west-southwest of
Bizerte.
Units stationed at the base are:
* No. 11 Squadron
: Jet trainer squadron,
Aermacchi MB-326
The Aermacchi or Macchi MB-326 is a light military jet trainer designed in Italy. Originally conceived as a two-seat trainer, there have also been single and two-seat light attack versions produced. It is one of the most commercially successf ...
* No. 15 Squadron
: Fighter squadron,
Northrop F-5
The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models, the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants and t ...
Tiger/TigerII
* No. 21 Squadron
* Transport squadron,
C-130 Hercules,
Let L-410 Turbolet
The Let L-410 Turbolet is a twin-engine short-range transport aircraft, manufactured by the Czech aircraft manufacturer Let Kunovice (named Aircraft Industries since 2005), often used as an airliner. The aircraft is capable of landing on short a ...
,
G-222
The Aeritalia G.222 (formerly Fiat Aviazione, later Alenia Aeronautica) is a medium-sized STOL military transport aircraft. It was developed to meet a NATO specification, but Italy was initially the only NATO member to adopt the type. The Unite ...
World War II
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
it was used by the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
Twelfth Air Force
The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
The command is the air component to ...
during the
North African Campaign. It was known as Bizerte Airfield. Several Allied units used the base in 1943. It was a heavy bomber airfield used by
B-17 Flying Fortress strategic bombers of the
2d Bombardment Group 002, 0O2, O02, OO2, or 002 may refer to:
Airports
*0O2, Baker Airport
*O02, Nervino Airport
Astronomy
*1996 OO2, the minor planet 7499 L'Aquila
*1990 OO2, the asteroid 9175 Graun
Fiction
*002, fictional British 00 Agent
*'' 002 Operazione Lu ...
, between 2 and 9 December 1943. There was a major air depot co-located at Sidi Ahmen.
Post-World War II
AFRICOM
The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM, U.S. AFRICOM, and AFRICOM), is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U ...
secretly operates a drone base at Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed Air Base.
See also
*
References
External links
* Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. .
*
Tunisian Air Force order of battle
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{{USAAF 12th Air Force World War II
{{USAAF 15th Air Force World War II
Military of Tunisia
Bizerte