Cam Ranh Base

(S/N 64-770) of the 558th Tactical Fighter Squadron, December 1968 Serial No 63-9725 of the 535th Tactical Airlift Squadron, October 1971 In April 1965 CINCPAC instructed an engineering survey for a new airfield at Cam Ranh Bay. In mid-1965, the American construction consortium RMK-BRJ was directed by the Navy Officer in Charge of Construction RVN (OICC RVN) to construct a new airfield at Cam Ranh Bay, starting with a temporary runway consisting of 2.2 million square feet (200,000 square meters) of AM-2 aluminum matting to accommodate jet fighter-bombers. By September, RMK-BRJ had employed 1,800 Vietnamese workers for the work, over half of whom were women. The runway was completed in 50 days, with Admiral U.S.G. Sharp, CINCPAC, laying the last AM-2 plank on 16 October 1965. The 12th TFW was the first permanently assigned F-4 Phantom II wing assigned to Southeast Asia. Operational squadrons of the wing at Cam Ranh were: • 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron 1 December 1965 – 31 March 1970 (F-4C Tail Code: XC) with General William Westmoreland at Cam Ranh Air Base, 23 December 1967 of Detachment 8, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Cam Ranh, January 1968 By December 1966 Cam Ranh AB reached over 27,000 aircraft movements a month. C-130s from Tan Son Nhut Air Base and Nha Trang Air Base made pickups at Cam Ranh, as did C-123s. In January 1967 the 483rd Consolidated Maintenance Squadron formed at the base. Given its security and attacks on other air bases, many transport aircraft from other less secure bases operated from Cam Ranh in early February. With the inactivation of the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, the 483rd became the host wing at Cam Ranh Bay on 31 March 1970. In mid-1970 the 903d Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron moved to the base. On 25 August 1971 a VC sapper attack on the base's tri-service ammunition storage area destroyed over 6000 tons of munitions with a value of more than US$10 million. On 16 September 1970 the 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron equipped with HC-130Ps relocated from Tuy Hoa Air Base to Cam Ranh. In March 1971 the squadron moved to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. Commencing in September 1971 the C-7 squadrons at the base began to be inactivated. On 1 December 1971, the wing was reassigned from the 834th Air Division directly to Headquarters, Seventh Air Force at Tan Son Nhut AB. It gained a tactical electronic warfare mission in mid-1971 and a special operations mission in the autumn of 1971. These squadrons were: • 20th Special Operations Squadron, 1 September 1971 – 1 April 1972 (UH–1P, No Tail Code) • 90th Special Operations Squadron, 1 September 1971 – 15 April 1972 • 360th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, 31 August 1971 – 1 February 1972 (EC-47N/P/Q Tail Code: AJ) • 361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, 31 August – 1 December 1971 (EC-47N/P/Q Tail Code: AL) • 362nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, 31 August 1971 – 1 February 1972 (EC-47N/P/Q C-47H Tail Code: AN) For its service in Vietnam, the 483rd was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations (21 January – 12 May 1968; 1 April – 30 June 1970) and three Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with combat "V" device (1 January – 30 April 1967; 1 May 1967 – 30 April 1968; 1 July 1970 – 31 December 1971). ==USAF withdrawal and South Vietnamese use of Cam Ranh Air Base==

Beginning on 1 January 1972, the 483d Tactical Airlift Wing phased down its activities, and active flying ended by 31 March. The unit was inactivated and Cam Ranh Air Base was turned over to the South Vietnamese government on 15 May 1972, ending USAF use of the facility. After the turnover to the South Vietnamese the base was largely abandoned. It was, quite simply, much too big for the Vietnamese to use. The base was slowly looted for its usable equipment, such as air conditioners, desks, refrigerators, and other furniture along with windows, doors and corrugated tin roofs from the buildings left by the Americans, leaving what could be categorized as a deteriorating ghost town of abandoned buildings. The Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) used the airfield as a storage facility for many of their A-1 Skyraiders, while their replacement jet F-5s and A-37s were used in operations against the PAVN from other, smaller bases. On 3 April 1975 the PAVN 10th Division advanced on Cam Ranh Bay and despite scattered resistance from the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and RVNAF airstrikes by 14:00 they had captured the entire base area. ==Soviet and Russian use of Cam Ranh facilities==

pictured) In 1979, the Soviet Union started leasing the base rent-free from Vietnam under a 25-year leasing treaty. The base, aside from serving as a communications and signal-intelligence collection centre, eased Soviet logistical support of its naval forces that were deployed in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. The first Soviet naval ships arrived at the base in March 1979. In addition to the two piers, the Soviets added five more, as well as building two dry docks, installations to admit nuclear submarines, fuel and weapons storage facilities, and barracks. Under Soviet administration, Cam Ranh became its largest naval base for forward deployment outside the Warsaw Pact. Some 20 ships were berthed daily at the base, along with six attack submarines. In addition, Soviet Naval Aviation (A-VMF) stationed MiG-23 fighters, Tupolev Tu-16s, Tupolev Tu-95s, and Tupolev Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft at Cam Ranh Air Base. From 1982 to 1989, the 169th Guards Mixed Aviation Regiment, Soviet Naval Aviation, flew Tu-16 and Tu-16K tankers (1st Squadron); Tu-95RTS and Tu-142M were flown 1982–1993 with the regiment's 2nd Squadron; and MiG-23MLD, late 1984–1989 (3rd Squadron). From November 1986 to December 1993 the regiment reported directly to the Soviet Pacific Fleet. During the 1980s many Tokyo Express flights went to and from the base, sometimes violating Japanese airspace. By 1989 offensive weapons, including the MiG-23s and Tu-16s, had been withdrawn and the number of personnel was halved to 2,500 from a high of 5,000. The reversion of the base back to Vietnamese control took place on 2 May 2002. On 25 November 2014, an agreement was signed during a visit to Sochi by Nguyễn Phú Trọng, that established standards of use of Russian warships in the port of Cam Ranh: Russian ships would only have to give prior notice to the Vietnamese authorities before calling on Cam Ranh Bay, while other foreign navies would be limited to only one annual ship visit to Vietnamese ports. In January 2015, Russia's Defense Ministry said that Russian Il-78 tanker aircraft had used Cam Ranh Bay in the previous year, enabling the refueling of the Tu-95 strategic bombers conducting flights in the Asia-Pacific region. == Current use ==

On 19 May 2004, after major reconstruction, Cam Ranh International Airport received its first commercial flight. Cam Ranh remains a minor base of the Vietnam People's Air Force, housing the 920th Training Squadron. Vietnam Naval Air Force also operates a small VTOL runway within the base. ==See also==