Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed Air Base is a
Tunisian Air Force
The Tunisian Air Force (, ) 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 France. It took deliveries of its first aircraft ...
base located approximately 7 km west of Menzel Abderahman, and 9 km west-southwest of
Bizerte
Bizerte (, ) is the capital and largest city of Bizerte Governorate in northern Tunisia. It is the List of northernmost items, northernmost city in Africa, located north of the capital Tunis. It is also known as the last town to remain under Fr ...
.
Units stationed at the base are:
* No. 11 Squadron
: Jet trainer squadron,
Aermacchi MB-326
* 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 th ...
Tiger/TigerII
* No. 21 Squadron
* Transport squadron,
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 w ...
,
Let L-410 Turbolet
The Let L-410 Turbolet is a twin-engine short-range transport aircraft designed and produced by the Czech Republic, Czech aircraft manufacturer Aircraft Industries, Let Kunovice (named Aircraft Industries since 2005).
It was developed as the ''L ...
,
G-222
World War II
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
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 U ...
during the
North African Campaign
The North African campaign of World War II took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943, fought between the Allies and the Axis Powers. It included campaigns in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts (Western Desert campaign, Desert Wa ...
. 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
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
strategic bombers of the
2d Bombardment Group, between 2 and 9 December 1943. There was a major air depot co-located at Sidi Ahmed.
Post-World War II
AFRICOM secretly operates a drone base at Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed Air Base.
See also
*
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress airfields in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
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