Kirtland Air Force Base
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Airfield shared with Albuquerque International Sunport Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] |
Kirtland Air Force Base (IATA: ABQ, ICAO: KABQ) is a United States Air Force base. It is located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland.[2] The military and the international airport share the same runways, making ABQ a joint civil-military airport.
Kirtland AFB is the largest installation in
Kirtland is the home of the
Kirtland is home to the
History
Kirtland Air Force Base was named for Colonel Roy C. Kirtland (1874–1941) in February 1942. Colonel Kirtland learned to fly in 1911 in one of the first Wright airplanes at Dayton, Ohio. During World War I, he organized and commanded a regiment of mechanics and served as an inspector of aviation facilities. Recalled from retirement in 1941 at age 65, he was oldest military pilot in the Air Corps. Colonel Kirtland died of a heart attack on 2 May 1941 at Moffett Field, California.
Kirtland Air Force Base has dramatically changed since its establishment as a U.S. Army airfield in 1941. It has evolved from a hastily constructed training and testing facility necessitated by World War II, to a significant USAF center for R&D. What began as a 2,000-acre air base has grown into a 51,800-plus-acre facility.
Origins
Kirtland Air Force Base's beginnings stem from three private airfields of 1928 to 1939 and are similar to that of other installations choosing to adapt existing runways and hangars for military use.[5][6]
In 1928, two
The airfield soon drew business from private flyers, as well as
WAE soon moved to the West Mesa Airport and was joined by TAT as the two airlines merged to become Trans World Airlines (TWA). This new facility, also private, became known as Albuquerque Airport, and the first, which was renamed Oxnard Field, also continued to service general aviation needs. In the mid-1930s, Mayor Tingley, other city officials, and TWA management began to conceive of a municipal airport, the next necessary step in confirming Albuquerque's status as a "Crossroads of the Southwest." With the help of President Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds, construction on a new airport was begun four miles west of Oxnard Field and completed in 1939, on the cusp of World War II.[6]
In January 1939, Major General Henry "Hap" Arnold, who became chief of the U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC), proposed to Congress that money be spent on a strong air defense. It soon became a national priority to secure airfields and bombing and gunnery ranges. An effort was also being made in cooperation with the WPA and Civil Aeronautics Authority to build up civilian airports of value to national defense efforts (Tagg 1998). Albuquerque city leaders began to examine the possibility of an air base locating on the mesa, and through extensive negotiations with the AAC, succeeded in their efforts when the Army established an air base on the East Mesa in 1939.[5]
World War II
As of late 1939, Army and Navy pilots began using Oxnard Field for refueling and maintenance for a variety of military flights. Later that same year, the Army Air Corps leased 2,000 acres neighboring Albuquerque Airport, four miles west of Oxnard Field. The Army eventually condemned the Oxnard Field property for military use, with subsequent transfer to the federal government.[6]
Construction of Albuquerque Army Air Base began in January 1941 and was completed in August 1941. Albuquerque Army Air Base received its first military aircraft in March, and on 1 April 1941, a lone B-18 bomber, landed on the north–south runway. With the assignment of five pilots to the aircraft, the day marked the official opening of Albuquerque Army Air Base. The first buildings on the installation were simple wood-frame structures constructed quickly in order to fulfill the country's urgent need for trained pilots to fight the war. Most of the buildings were Theater of Operations construction while some were of the Mobilization type. The Mobilization type buildings included the station hospital, theater, chapel, and Link training buildings.[5]
During World War II there were three levels of pilot training:[5]
- Primary Flying School
- Basic Flying School
- Advanced Flying School (including Transition Training)
The Albuquerque Army Air Base provided advanced flying training in "AT" (advanced trainer) trainer aircraft and transition training in combat-ready aircraft, primarily the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator. In addition to pilot training, the Albuquerque Army Air Base provided bombardier training at its Advanced Flying School. During this period, the facility was under the Flying Training Command and the Air Training Command.[5]
In addition to the main airfield, several auxiliary airfields were used to support the flying school:
- Oxnard Airport (Original Albuquerque Airport) 35°02′23″N 106°33′36″W / 35.03972°N 106.56000°W
- West Mesa Airport 35°05′23″N 106°43′25″W / 35.08972°N 106.72361°W
- Acomita CAA Intermediate Airfield 35°02′48″N 107°42′38″W / 35.04667°N 107.71056°W
- Paddy Auxiliary Army Airfield 34°43′28″N 107°21′25″W / 34.72444°N 107.35694°W
- Santa Fe Auxiliary Army Airfield35°37′01″N 106°05′21″W / 35.61694°N 106.08917°W
- Socorro Auxiliary Army Airfield 34°01′30″N 106°54′13″W / 34.02500°N 106.90361°W
19th Bombardment Group
The
Because B-17s were in short supply, the pilots trained on Douglas B-18 Bolos and Northrop A-17s, as well as Stearman PT-17 biplanes. Under the command of Lt. Colonel Eugene Eubank, the 19th Bombardment Group focused on precision, high-altitude, and formation flying. They also flew mock attacks on New Mexico villages and ranches. Eubank was known for being a taskmaster, demanding that his pilots gain extensive cockpit experience and that the men cross-train as navigators and bombardiers. As such, it was purported that every B-17 flight had a half-dozen pilots aboard, two flying, two practicing dead reckoning and celestial navigation, and two making practice bomb runs.[5]
Ferrying command training
The
TWA pilots and ground crews were readily available as instructors; the difficulty was in housing the students because base quarters were not finished. Consequently, they doubled up in the barracks. The first contingent of B-24 trainees arrived in Albuquerque on 19 June 1941. The facility was officially titled the Air Corps Ferrying Command Four-Engine Transition School but was unofficially referred to as the "Four-Engine School" or "Jack Frye School"—for the president of TWA. Its location on the base was called the Eagle Nest Flight Center.[5]
Using Link Trainers and B-24 training aircraft, the TWA instructors trained more than 1,100 pilots and crewmen during the eight months the company operated the school. On 7 February 1942, the U.S. Army transferred the training function from TWA back to the USAAF, and the school was redesignated the Combat Crew Training School. The Air Corps Ferrying Command was redesignated the Army Air Forces Ferrying Command in March 1942, a month after the AAC transferred the school from TWA training back to the military. The command was then redesignated the
Bombardier training
With the departure of the
The 56th and 88th School Squadrons, the 9th Materiel Squadron, and the 92nd Quartermaster Battalion arrived the week after the
Students began training on twin-engine Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan bomber trainers. By January 1942, there were 50 aircraft on base, in addition to 28 B-18A Bolo bombers used for training. Eventually, about 150 AT-11s served the school. The USAAF established a new minimum proficiency standard for bombardier trainees in 1943. Trainees were required to hit their targets during at least 22 percent of their drops. Practice combat flying missions required continuous evasive action within a 10-mile radius of the intended target. The final approach was required to be straight, level and taking no longer than 60 seconds.[5]
The school taught bombardiers the technique of bomb sighting. Bombardiers were required to crawl down shafts that gave way to the "bubble," from which they had bird's-eye views of the ground below. The bombardier's job was to feed the bombsight the needed information, air speed, wind speed, wind direction, altitude, and the angle of drift. As the aircraft approached the target, the pilot turned the aircraft over to the bombardier and the Norden bombsight, which was also an automatic pilot that flew the aircraft as bombs were released over the target. Classroom instruction at the Albuquerque base was held at night and training missions were flown during the day to bombsights around Albuquerque. Servicemen and WPA workers were tasked with laying out bombing ranges for training. These were located west and southwest of Albuquerque, including a major range located between the neighboring village, Los Lunas and the Rio Puerco. Contracts for day and night bombing targets on the ranges were let during January 1942, and access roads to the targets were constructed. Bomb ranges numbered 2,450 square miles on ranch and Indian reservation land by the end of 1942. At that time, a total of 24 targets, simulated cities and warships, were in use on the ranges.[5]
Bombardier school was 12 to 18 weeks during which a student dropped approximately 160 bombs; precise records were kept of hits and misses. The elimination rate for trainees was 12 percent, and upon graduation, a new bombardier was transferred to an operational training unit and trained for overseas duty. Albuquerque was an operational training facility, and the first class of 61 bombardiers from the Albuquerque base school graduated 7 March 1942. By 1945, Albuquerque's flying training field had turned out 5,719 bombardiers and 1,750 regular pilots for the B-24 bomber alone. The 51st class to complete the bombardier training course included 143 bombardiers.
Additional training
Bombardier and pilot training was not the only focus at Kirtland Field between 1942 and 1945. In 1943, the USAAF Flying Training Command merged with the Technical Training Command in an effort to save manpower. The new command, the Air Training Command, became responsible for all training from classification center through pilot and technical schools. In 1943, Kirtland Field facilities expanded to support existing bombardier training plus other training missions. This expansion was the result of the merging of the two training commands.[5]
Expanded training at Kirtland Field included a ground school for glider pilots—called the Glider Replacement Center, which was established in July 1942. The center served as a temporary training area for glider pilots awaiting vacancies at glider schools. The Army Air Forces glider-training program had expanded, and prior flight training was eliminated as a necessary qualification for candidates. On 30 June, the War Department opened the program to any man between 18 and 36 who could meet the physical and mental requirements, including civilians as well as officers and enlisted men. At Kirtland Field, the Glider Replacement Center operated until February 1943.[5]
In May 1943, a Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) contingent was established at Kirtland Field with the arrival of 45 women on base. WAAC quarters built at Kirtland Field included barracks, a day room, beauty shop, and supply room. A WAAC open house for the new post was held in August 1943 and several hundred men with their wives and families attended. Initially, most WAACs and WACs worked as file clerks, typists, stenographers, or motor pool drivers. Gradually, their jobs grew more technical as positions were created for weather forecasters, parachute riggers, radio operators and repair specialists, sheet metal workers, bombsight maintenance specialists, control tower operators, and cryptographers.[5]
In August 1943, Kirtland Field became host to a USAAF Provisional B-24 Liberator Pilot Transition School designed to train airplane commanders. Transition training was the final step after successful completion of Primary, Basic, and Advanced Flying training. The Bombardier School, for the most part, furnished facilities and maintenance, and personnel from two squadrons, that had been part of the Bombardier School, were put to work in the B-24 school. Officer pilots were selected for the new school from advanced twin-engine training schools. Instruction covered day and night navigation and instrument flying, formation and altitude flying, comprehensive ground schoolwork, engineering, radio, meteorology, weather flying, first aid and oxygen training, as well as a course on the duties of an airplane commander.[5]
A school for navigation was also established at Kirtland Field in the summer of 1943. The six-week navigation training course extended bombardier cadets’ schooling from 12 weeks to 18 weeks, qualifying them to serve as navigators as well. The navigation instructors were often recent combat veterans; the school combined regular bombardier missions to targets throughout New Mexico with navigational missions.[5]
A month later, headquarters of the 38th Flying Training Wing relocated from
Kirtland Field served as a
Manhattan Project
Perhaps one of the most important functions Kirtland Field served during World War II was as a transportation center for the needs of scientists developing the
From Kirtland Field, Manhattan Project scientists were flown back and forth to
On 16 July 1945, at Kirtland Field, two
However, it was not its last connection with the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, which largely would determine the base's fate in the postwar economy.
To the east of the air base, at Oxnard Field, the U.S. Army also acquired 1,100 acres of land to develop a school for aircraft mechanics. An Air Depot Training Station, it was unofficially referred to as "Sandia Base". After various other incarnations—as a convalescent center and aircraft burial ground—Sandia Base became the precursor to Sandia National Laboratories when the Manhattan Project's Z Division relocated from Los Alamos to continue top-secret work development of atomic weapons.[5]
The New Mexico Proving Grounds (NMPG) was constructed concurrently with the development of the Albuquerque Army Air Base and the activities at the old Oxnard Field. It was built to the south to serve as the base for testing the top-secret proximity fuze, a device that played an important role in defeat of the German Vergeltungswaffe (V-1) rocket. The proximity fuze, a weapon that was later dubbed by the media as the second most important one developed during the war. By war's end, nearly 50,000 acres had been acquired for the NMPG, this acreage is to the south of the runway and main base that today makes up the greatest portion of Kirtland AFB.[5]
Postwar aircraft storage depot
With the end of World War II, the base again became Albuquerque Army Air Field and was used by the
Cold War
Kirtland AAB was put on a temporary inactive basis on 31 December 1945. When World War II ended, it was not clear whether Kirtland Field would be closed or become a permanent USAF facility. The transformation of the Air Depot Training Station into Sandia Base, home to Sandia Laboratory and the AFSWP, kept the facility open and ultimately determined its fate. Kirtland Field was renamed Kirtland AFB, and it became the USAF's main facility for integrating new weapons designs produced by Sandia Laboratory with operational USAF aircraft and equipment.
Atomic weapons development
On 1 February 1946, Kirtland was transferred to the
On 21 March 1946,
As these arrangements were taking place, a new subgroup of the
Base operations began to increase in June 1946 with the organization of a full-scale Ground Training Program and the arrival of the Special Ordnance Squadron and Special Transport Flight of the 58th Bombardment Wing. Aircraft being maintained by the 58th Bombardment Wing included five
A primary mission for Kirtland Field was recorded in the September 1946 narrative history: "[To] provide aerial and ground functioning testing facilities and conduct functional tests on all equipment and materiel related to the use of special weapons and radioactive materials". Between late 1946 and early 1947, after the Atomic Energy Act creating the Atomic Energy Commission was passed, the AFSWP was established with Sandia Base as an installation under its control. A special engineering battalion was also created to aid in the assembly and maintenance of atomic bombs at Sandia Base.[5]
In July and August 1946, Kirtland Field and Sandia Base personnel took part in
With the focus on atomic weapons, in early December 1946, Kirtland Field was again transferred, this time to the Air Materiel Command (AMC), specifically the Directorate, Research and Development, HQ, AMC. AMC was responsible for all USAF R&D, including atomic weapons. The transfer took place due to Kirtland Field's close proximity to Sandia Base and the Z Division. The AMC mission at Kirtland Field was "to provide flight services for the Manhattan [Engineering] District at Sandia and Los Alamos in atomic bomb testing".[5]
In early 1947, the AMC established Kirtland Field's mission as the USAAF nuclear weapons facility, a continuation of the wartime
Secondary missions at Kirtland Field during the inception of the Cold War included furnishing facilities for the
Aircraft atomic weapons modification center
The Convair
The B-36 was the first intercontinental bomber able to carry any weapon in the U.S. arsenal across distances up to 3,900 miles. Thus, it was the principal means of deterrence from 1948 to the late 1950s. It was flown extensively in later atomic weapons tests at the
Many other marriages of aircraft and weapons were completed at Kirtland. The X
The following summer (June 1949), the assigned organizations of KAFB were again redesignated, by General Order No. 52, HQ, AMC. They were as follows:[5]
- HQ and HQ Squadron, 2758th Experimental Wing
- HQ and HQ Squadron, 3170th Special Weapons Group
- HQ and HQ Squadron, 2930th Maintenance and Supply Group
- HQ and HQ Squadron, 2797th Medical Group
- HQ and HQ Squadron, 3078th Air Base Group
Air Force Special Weapons Command
In response to the explosion of a
New Mexico Air Defense
Along with its assignment under SWC, Kirtland AFB received a related air defense mission for
The central New Mexico region was considered a high air defense priority in the early
In tandem with its hosting of HQ 34th Air Division (Defense), Kirtland began hosting a subordinate Aircraft Control and Warning (AC&W) radar station in 1950. The 690th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron in charge of the station was supported, at the outset of the mission, directly on base in temporary Jamesway huts—round Quonset-hut type structures.[5]
KAFB remained the HQ for the 34th Air Division (Defense) throughout the 1950s until 1 January 1960. From that date until 1 November 1960, the zone was referred to as the Albuquerque Air Defense Sector. By the early 1960s, however, the USAF began shifting emphasis away from intercepting bombers in favor of the detection of Intercontinental ballistic missiles. Funding cutbacks began to cripple ADC programs, and that particular era of air defense drew to a close.[5]
81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing
In June 1949, Kirtland AFB became host to one of the earliest alert
However, the air defense area in New Mexico for the 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing lasted only a short while. In May 1950, the 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing departed for
Air Force Special Weapons Center
By 1952, the
AFSWC became one of the distinct R&D centers within the ARDC. Its principal task was the proper marriage of aircraft and weapons: the best combinations of aircraft/weaponry were to be analyzed, designed, developed, and tested. The AFSWC was to conduct this development and test work in conjunction with the AEC,
In short, LASL would build the "physics package" of a new weapon. This included the high explosive, the physical nuclear material, and the package.
By September 1956, AFSWC included a group with three squadrons trained in the testing of atomic weapons (the atom bomb) and a group trained in testing thermonuclear weapons (the hydrogen bomb). AFSWC was organized into the following units:[5]
- Research Directorate
- Development Directorate
- 4900th Air Base Group
- 4925th Test Group (Atomic)
- 4950th Test Group (Nuclear)
AFSWC's Research Directorate became a focal point for USAF research in nuclear matters and advanced weaponry. Its mission was to "conduct applied research in the fields of nuclear weapons analysis, requirements and development, and to advise Air Force Special Weapons Center staff on nuclear research matters". In 1953 the Research Directorate began a weapons data-indexing project and maintained a technical library for all data on USAF contributions to the atomic energy program. The Research Directorate essentially led the charge in USAF efforts to conduct special weapons testing for weapons survivability and vulnerability. It also provided the groundwork for USAF interest in directed energy and weapons.[5]
The Research Directorate also conducted numerous studies on the hazards of neutron and gamma radiation exposure for aircraft crews both in the air and on the ground. For example, directorate scientists accompanied AFSWC's
The Development Directorate's mission was to study, research, and develop nuclear weapons, weapons systems, components, and associated equipment for the USAF. In the early 1950s, the Development Directorate conducted numerous nuclear weapons studies focusing on specific target effectiveness and detonation conditions of atomic weapons. The Development Directorate was the AFSWC division working in conjunction with LASL and
In the mid-1950s, the AFSWC's Development Directorate began work on atomic warhead installations in guided missile weapons and the development of warhead support equipment. In January 1955,
The atmospheric tests conducted throughout the 1950s were critical to the definition of nuclear weapons effects for the design of survivable U.S. offensive and defensive weapons systems. Conducted under the auspices of the AEC, each test series was directed by a Joint Task Force appointed by the JCS. In early nuclear test series, the USAF assembled one Air Task Group per test to perform air support and missions. The frequency of tests and these issues justified a permanent group, and the USAF looked to AFSWC to fill the requirements. In response, in 1956 AFSWC established the 4950th Test Group (Nuclear) to serve as a permanent USAF Air Task Group for atmospheric testing, replacing the 4925th Test Group (Atomic), which then focused on the aircraft/weapon marriage mission.[5]
In 1958, efforts were underway between the United States and Soviet Union to agree on a moratorium for atmospheric nuclear testing. The anticipated limitations on determining weapons effects inspired efforts by the Special Weapons Center and Sandia Corporation to develop methods of simulating nuclear effects with non-nuclear techniques. In 1962, Kirtland AFB and Sandia personnel participated in Operation Dominic, a series of atmospheric and subsurface tests in the Pacific. They were the last such tests conducted before the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed with the Soviet Union in late 1962, prohibiting testing in the atmosphere, in space and under water.[6]
In April 1961, the Air Research and Development Command was redesignated the Air Force Systems Command (AFSC). The new command was given the weapons procurement and production functions of ARDC's longtime rival Air Materiel Command, which effectively ended the ten years of contention between the ARDC and AMC. With the disestablishment of ARDC in 1961, AFSC took command of Kirtland and AFSWC. The replacement of ARDC with AFSC resulted in significant changes for AFSWC, but there were many adjustments that did not result solely from the change in command. AFSWC's primary role as "the AEC’s Air Force"—the primary USAF flight support for atmospheric testing—was no longer a military priority by the early 1960s owing to the 1958 moratorium on atmospheric testing.[5]
As the phase-down of testing activities continued during the moratorium, in August 1961 the
Shortly after the testing groups were disestablished, the testing ban was lifted briefly when the Soviet Union detonated a nuclear device in the atmosphere in September 1961. A flurry of full-scale U.S. test activity resulted during 1961 and 1962. These tests were part of the National Nuclear Test Readiness Program, which had been set up as a direct response to President John F. Kennedy’s Safeguard C, which required readiness to promptly resume atmospheric testing should the need arise. Atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons finally ended with the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty.[5]
Atmospheric sampling
On 16 June 1963, also after the Limited Test Ban Treaty, the 1211th Test Squadron was inactivated, and its assets were re-designated as the
This monitoring activity was directly related to Kennedy's LTBT safeguards: to monitor testing by other nations. An ongoing assignment of the 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron was observation for evidence of
In 1968 the Air Weather Service's RB-57Fs were redesignated WB-57Fs, and they continued to be used in the atmospheric sampling role, mostly on behalf of the AEC. Some of the aircraft were fitted with probes to scoop up airborne particles in a program of ongoing monitoring of nuclear tests. Most of this activity was centered on the nuclear tests carried out in
The 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron was the last squadron in the USAF to use the WB-57F; in the spring of 1972, the decision was made to transfer 12 F-Troop aircraft, WB-57Fs and WB-57Cs, to Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona for storage at the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center. By the summer of 1973 there were rumors of squadron reductions, and inactivation of the squadron was announced officially in March 1974 as a result of the continual downsizing since the 1958 moratorium.[5]
Missile development
Throughout the remainder of the 1960s, the AFSWC worked closely with the Air Force Missile Development Center at
By the mid-1970s, missile development support within the AFSWC reached a plateau—with advanced missiles work entirely focused through the AFSC's Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO) at Los Angeles Air Force Station. SAMSO was a precursor to today's
Air Force Weapons Laboratory
In the wake of the full-scale tests and signing of the test ban treaty, the
Throughout the 1960s, AFWL scientists built facilities to simulate nuclear effects such as transient radiation, x-rays and electromagnetic pulse. For example, in 1965, AFWL's Civil Engineering Research Branch began studies using conventional high explosives to simulate a nuclear blast to test the hardness or survivability of underground missile silos and command centers. The Weapons Laboratory built facilities during the 1960s to simulate nuclear effects such as transient radiation, x-rays and electromagnetic pulse. To study the latter, the ATLAS-I (better known as
AFWL also made important contributions throughout the decade to improve the nuclear systems related to such aircraft as the
On 1 July 1971, Kirtland merged with
Laser technology
Laser R&D became a mission for AFWL during the 1960s and was its main focus into the 1970s. The military began to view lasers as potentially superior to conventional weapons because of lasers’ intensity over great distances and envisioned developing them for ballistic missile defense, as well as anti-satellite and anti-aircraft missions. In 1968, the USAF authorized the AFWL to design, build, and fire a GDL capable of engaging targets that were static or in motion. The Advanced Radiation Technology Office at AFWL built its TSL at SOR in 1971, naming it the Air Force Laser (AFL). Mating of the AFL and Field Test Telescope (FTT)—the first step toward shooting down an aerial target with a laser—took place in October 1972. The successful mating of the AFL and FTT in 1972 was a milestone in the USAF high-energy laser research. That same year, AFSC assigned responsibility for the USAF's portion of the DoD's high-energy laser program to AFWL. AFWL scientists were determined to use the AFL to shoot down a drone aircraft. A year later, in November 1973, the AFWL met the three milestones and succeeded in the first shoot down of an aerial target by a laser.[5]
While a ground laser could track and engage a moving target, an airborne laser had the added difficulties of vibrations, beam propagation, and pointing a laser from an aerial platform. Development of the Airborne Laser Laboratory (ALL) became the centerpiece of AFWL's laser program in the 1970s. The ALL term was coined in 1972, and the ALL program began with Cycle I testing in 1973 and ended with the completion of Cycle III in September 1983. The ALL was a modified NKC-135, and the 4900th Flight Test Group was formed for aircraft operations. Laboratory testing occurred in the 400 area of Kirtland AFB and initial ground tests in hangar 1001, while the hangar at the Advanced Radiation Test Facility (ARTF) at the southeast corner of the runway was being constructed. ARTF was used for later ground tests that aimed the APT from the ARTF test pad to a target in the atmosphere in order to calibrate aircraft instruments in preparation for flight tests. Along with the five NKC-135, the 4900th FTG operated a fleet of five F-4Ds, one RF-4C, three NC-135As, five C-130s, and several A-37s, F-100s, and helicopters.[5]
These flights tests took place from January to July 1975, with the first "good" beam generation occurring in March. Testing ended in 1976, and although the airborne tests demonstrated the need to upgrade the tracker, the optical quality of the mirrors, and the stabilization of the APT, they clearly proved that a laser could be accurately pointed in an airborne environment. After 1977, work continued on the ALL, which would reach its goal in 1983.[5]
In 1979, AFWL achieved a milestone in the development of airborne high-energy laser weapons. The High Energy Laser Radar Acquisition and Tracking System (HELRATS) was designed specifically to track enemy aircraft and missiles. Installed at North Oscura Peak on the White Sands Missile Range between May and November 1979, HELRATS underwent extensive testing against aircraft and missiles. These tests were critically important steps to developing the DoD's high-energy laser program. Range tests took place from May to December 1979. The most successful of the tests was one that shot an AIM-9B downrange; the beam in the test cell delivered and locked onto the aim point on the missile dome, causing damage to the dome, guidance, and seeker unit inside the AIM-9B. This test demonstrated that the ALL systems could work as a unit and disable a target.[5]
In July 1980 a "hot firing" test of the system was made being the first airborne test of the system. The flight took place near WSMR at 10,000 feet. A series of airborne systems tests were then made prior to extracting a beam from the ALL. In January 1981 a high-energy laser beam was generated inside the ALL, directed through the APT, and propagated in the air outside the aircraft; this was the first demonstration that the ALL components could work as a unified system and point to a target. The highlight of the ALL program occurred in May 1983, over the Naval Weapons Center Range at China Lake, California, where the laser was combined with a sophisticated pointer and tracker to negate, or disable, five AIM-9 "Sidewinder" missiles. While the missiles did not fall from the sky in pieces, they were disabled to the point that they could no longer locate, track, and strike their target.[5]
Despite its success, weapons planners ignored the ALL because its missions had been categorized as "proof of concept" rather than demonstrations of a viable war tool. The ALL aircraft was retired in 1984 and stored in hangar 760 at Kirtland. Four years later it took its final flight to Wright Patterson AFB, where it is now on display at the
Air Force Test and Evaluation Center
In 1974, the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center (AFTEC) was organized at KAFB "to direct and oversee operational testing of emerging Air Force aircraft and systems". The purpose of AFTEC was to answer questions about how safe, effective, reliable, maintainable, compatible, and logistically supportable new USAF systems would be for acquisition purposes. The F-16 Falcon fighter and the BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile were among the weapons the center tested in the 1970s, and the Kirtland Base Information Resources and Economic Impact statement of FY 1984 reported that AFTEC was then "evaluating more than 90 major systems. Among them are the Peacemaker missile, the HH-60 helicopter, a new version of the F-15 advanced medium range air-to-air missile, the Maverick air-to-ground missile, TRI-TAC multiservice communication system and the B-1 bomber".[5]
Due to budget restrictions and reorganization, the Special Weapons Center was disestablished during 1976. Its responsibilities as Kirtland AFB's landlord’ were transferred to Contract Management Division, and a new support organization, the 4900th Air Base Wing, was created to discharge those responsibilities.[6]
1550th Combat Crew Training Wing
In 1976, as these organizational changes were being made, the
On 1 July 1977, the base once again changed hands as the 1606th Air Base Wing was created when Military Airlift Command (MAC) took over responsibility for operating Kirtland AFB from Air Force Systems Command.[6]
In the mid-1980s, the wing was equipped with a fleet of 32 aircraft, which included five HC-130 rescue transports, eight H-3 and seven H-53 heavy lift helicopters or "Jolly Green Giants," and six UH-1F and six UH-1N light lift helicopters or "Hueys." Flying training in the 1550th ATTW included basic aircraft qualifications, instrument and transition flying, aerial refueling of the Jolly Green Giant helicopters by HC-130 tankers, combat tactics, air drops of pararescue personnel and equipment, land-water helicopter hoist training, simulated search missions, and locating and intercepting lost or distressed aircraft. Initial training for all USAF Pararescuemen was also given at Kirtland. The training included classes in mountain climbing, survival, navigation, scuba-equipped parachute jumps, hoisting from a helicopter, emergency medicine, combat tactics, and weapons. In 1985, the wing graduated approximately 1,250 students from its 34 formal courses.[5]
Air Force Space Technology Center
On 1 October 1982, the
The militarily strategic value of space became a new focus for AFWL in the early 1980s. In March 1983, President Ronald Reagan announced a major research effort to determine the feasibility of advanced defenses against ballistic missiles. In the mid-1980s, AFWL made important contributions to the SDI program through its studies of the laser vulnerability of solid and liquid-fueled ICBM boosters. AFWL used the mid-infrared advanced chemical laser (MIRACL) to demonstrate such vulnerabilities, and successful MIRACL tests destroyed both stationary and rotating reflective targets. By fiscal year 1986, Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) accounted for more than 60 percent of AFWL's budget.[5]
AFWL carried out tests of its Booster Vulnerability Test Program. In these tests scientists used MIRACL to destroy a decommissioned
On 1 October 1991, the 1606th Air Base Wing and 1550th Combat Crew Training Wing merged into one "super" wing called the 542d Crew Training Wing.[6]
Modern era
In 1992, the
On 1 January 1993, the base again changed hands as the newly formed Air Force Materiel Command acquired Kirtland AFB from Air Mobility Command. The 377th Air Base Wing was reactivated to become the base's host organization.
On 1 April 1994 the 1550th Combat Crew Training Wing was re-designated as the 58th Special Operations Wing under Air Education and Training Command (AETC). In addition to the helicopter training, it also trained crews in special operations aircraft, including helicopters and modified C-130 Hercules aircraft. It performed pararescue training and search and rescue missions as well. Additionally, the wing trained for missile site support and airlift for distinguished visitors. At the same time the wing continued to deploy personnel worldwide for contingency and combat operations. The wing airlifted a federal task force to Pennsylvania to investigate the crash site of the fourth airliner following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. Since that time the 58th has deployed personnel and equipment to support Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Today, the 58th SOW trains aircrews in the MC-130J Commando II, MC-130H Combat Talon II, and the CV-22 Osprey for the Air Force Special Operations Command; the HC-130P Combat King, HC-130J Combat King II, and the HH-60G Pavehawk for the Air Combat Command and Pacific Air Forces; the UH-1 Huey for Air Force Space Command; and those aircrew operationally gained to those commands from the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard.
On 31 March 2006, the
In November 2009 the 377th Air Base Wing, commanded by Colonel Michael S. Duvall, and 498th Nuclear Systems Wing, commanded by Colonel Richard M. Stuckey, failed their nuclear security inspections. The inspections were conducted by Air Force Materiel Command and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.[8][9]
On 27 January 2010 the 898th Munitions Squadron was decertified. The action meant that the squadron could no longer perform its mission of safeguarding the weapons at the Kirtland Underground Munitions Maintenance and Storage Complex until it passed a nuclear surety inspection.[10] The squadron was recertified on 11 June 2010.[11]
The 498 Nuclear Systems Wing was deactivated on 27 Jan 2012 as the Air Force transferred oversight of the nuclear munitions to the Air Force Global Strike Command.[12] Two years later, in December 2014, the Air Force declared its intentions to "realign the 377th Air Base Wing under Air Force Global Strike Command and to restructure the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center to improve the effectiveness of and support for the Air Force's Nuclear Enterprise."[12]
Major commands assigned[13]
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Major units assigned
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.* Base Operating Unit
Previous names
- Albuquerque Army Air Base, 8 March 1941
- Kirtland Army Air Field, 24 February 1942
- Kirtland Air Force Base, since 13 January 1948
Role and operations
This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (April 2013) |
The missions of Kirtland AFB fall into four major categories: munitions maintenance; readiness and training; research, development and testing; and base operating support to more than 100 federal government and private sector associates.
Major units
- The mission of the NWC is to ensure safe, secure and reliable nuclear weapons are available to support the National Command Structure and Air Force war fighter.
- The wing provides munitions maintenance, readiness and training, and base operating support to approximately 76 Federal government and 384 private sector tenants and associate units. Among these is the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Defense Nuclear Weapons School, the mission of which is to provide nuclear weapons core competencies and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high explosive (CBRNE) response training to DoD, other Federal and State Agencies, and National Laboratory personnel.
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB
- Directed Energy Directorate
- This lab develops, integrates, and transitions science and technology for directed energy to include high-power microwaves, lasers, adaptive optics, imaging and effects to assure the preeminence of the United States in air and space.
- Phillips Research Site
- Organized to support Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy (RD) and the Space Vehicles (RV) Directorates site functions overarch both directorates. Those site specific support functions include Business Opportunities, Employment and the AFRL-PRS Reserves.
This article appears to contain a large number of buzzwords. (June 2018) |
- This lab develops and transitions space technologies supporting the warfighter while leveraging commercial, civil and other government capabilities.
- Airborne Laser System Program Office
- Department of Defense's Center of Expertise for laser development of all types
- Operationally Responsive Space
- On 21 May 2007 the Deputy Secretary of Defense and Executive Agent for Space established the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office as a proactive step to adapt space capabilities to changing national security requirements and to be an agent for change across the community.
- The 58th Special Operations Wing is a major unit in the 19th Air Force under Air Education and Training Command. The wing’s mission is to train mission-ready special operations, combat search and rescue, missile site support and UH-1 distinguished visitor airlift aircrews in direct support of Air Expeditionary Forces to six major commands in the Air Force.
Associate units
- 150th Special Operations Wing (New Mexico Air National Guard) (1947–present)
- The wing provides search and rescue capabilities for the region.
- Air Force Inspection Agency (AFIA)
- A field-operating agency that reports to the Inspector General of the Department of the Air Force. AFIA’s 120 military and civilian personnel provide Air Force senior leaders with timely, independent assessments to improve the Air Force.
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Albuquerque
- DTRA’s mission is to safeguard America and its allies from weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high yield explosives) by providing capabilities to reduce, eliminate and counter the threat and mitigate its effects.
- Kirtland AFB NCO Academy (closed)
- 505th Distributed Warfare Group
- 705th Combat Training Squadron
- Air Force Safety Center
- Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
- 351st Special Warfare Training Squadron (Pararescue and Combat Rescue Officer Training School)
- Space Development Test Directorate, Space & Missile System Center
- Air Force Nuclear Weapons and Counterproliferation Agency
- Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service
Non-military organizations
- Sandia National Laboratories is a national security lab with the core purpose of "Helping Our Nation Secure a Peaceful and Free World through Technology." It provides technology solutions to the most challenging problems that threaten peace and freedom. Sandia has two primary facilities: a large laboratory and headquarters in Albuquerque, N.M., and a smaller laboratory in Livermore, Calif.
- Detachment 1, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
- Detachment 3, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
- New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System
- Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, a non-profit biomedical research organization
Based units
Flying and notable non-flying units based at Kirtland Air Force Base.[14][15][16][17][18][19]
Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Kirtland, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.
United States Air Force
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC)
Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)
Air Education and Training Command (AETC)
Air Combat Command (ACC)
Air National Guard (ANG)
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Direct Reporting Units (DRU)
United States Army
United States Space Force
Department of DefenseDepartment of the Air Force
Missile Defense Agency
Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)
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Environmental contamination due to jet fuel spill
A jet fuel leak was discovered at Kirtland Air Force Base in 1999.[20] Suspected to have been leaking undetected for decades, an estimated 6 to 24 million gallons of fuel saturated the soil, posing a serious hazard to wells in the south valley connected to the municipal water supply.[20][21]
Air Force Manual 85-16 required annual and five-year inspections of the Bulk Fuels Facility. The inspections were not performed for three decades. In 1985, a waiver was issued to not perform pipeline pressure testing. In 1992, leaking was discovered at the fuels facility pump house Bldg. 1033. In 1994, two waivers were issued: one for the annual pipeline testing and another for pressure testing.[22] In 1999, another jet fuel leak was discovered from a broken 16-inch pipe.[23] It was later learned that the pipe had been leaking fuel undetected since 1953. The Air Force initially estimated that pipe leaked roughly between 1 and 2 million US gallons (3,800 and 7,600 m3) of jet fuel in that 46-year span. However, state environmental officials believe the number may be as high as 24 million US gallons (91,000 m3), which could make the spill more than twice the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska.[24] In 2007, 18 inches of fuel floated over the water table when a well was dug.[23]
The escaped jet fuel is submerged 500 ft beneath the ground in the drinking water aquifer. As of 2010, a 6000 ft long plume of contaminants, the most dangerous chemical being
In June 2014, the board of directors of Albuquerque's municipal water utility approved a resolution that "any amount of ethylene dibromide, no matter how small, would be cause to shut down the affected well". It also called for the Air Force "to move more quickly in cleaning up the spill", as the slow progress has frustrated members of the community. The contaminated water plume could reach the nearest drinking water well in between five and 40 years, according to 2014 estimates.[20]
However, as of January 2020, there had been no incidents of drinking water contamination, and no threats of future contamination.
Remediation
Several interim measures have already been completed including the removal of approximately 5000 tons of contaminated soil near the source of the leak and the removal of the equivalent of approximately 775,000 gallons of fuel through a combination of soil vapor extraction and bioslurping. In addition, the Air Force replaced the decades-old bulk fueling facility with a state-of-the-art fueling facility.
To mitigate any potential threats to the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority Ridgecrest drinking water supply wells the Air Force implemented a groundwater pump and treat interim measure to collapse and treat the dissolved-phase ethylene dibromide (EDB) plume in the Target Capture Zone north of Ridgecrest Drive. This interim measure consists of four extraction wells and a groundwater treatment plant, which uses granular activated carbon to remove the EDB. As of January 2020, approximately 800 million gallons of groundwater have been successfully treated and approximately 91% of the EDB mass (approximately 122 grams) in the Target Capture Zone has been removed.
For more information, visit: Kirtland Air Force Base > Home > Environment > BFF
Education
Kirtland AFB is zoned to Albuquerque Public Schools.[26]
Sandia Elementary School (Building # 21000) and Wherry Elementary School (Building #25000) are in the Kirtland AFB boundary while Kirtland Elementary School and Van Buren Junior High School are outside of the Kirtland AFB boundary.[27]
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New Orleans Station is a census-designated place (CDP) covering the residential population of the Kirtland Air Force Base in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. It first appeared as a CDP in the 2020 Census with a population of 3,838.[28]
Demographics
Kirtland Air Force Base CDP is a census-designated place (CDP) covering the residential population of the Kirtland Air Force Base in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. It first appeared as a CDP in the 2020 Census with a population of 3,838.[28]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 3,838 | — | |
U.S. Decennial Census[29] 2020[30] |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2020[30] | % 2020 |
---|---|---|
White alone (NH)
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2,323 | 60.53% |
Black or African American alone (NH)
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315 | 8.21% |
Alaska Native alone (NH)
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37 | 0.96% |
Asian alone (NH) | 121 | 3.15% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 23 | 0.60% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 29 | 0.76% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 279 | 7.27% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 711 | 18.53% |
Total | 3,838 | 100.00% |
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
Kirtland in popular culture
- Kirtland served as Bagram Air Base in the film Lone Survivor(2013).
- The RKO Radio Pictures film Bombardier(1943) was primarily filmed at the base.
- On the science-fiction television series The X-Files, part of the episode "Space" takes place on the base.
- This was mentioned in the film AWACSplanes originated from.
- The character Jane Margolis on the AMC television series season 2that she draws tattoos for "college kids and airmen from Kirtland".
- Kirtland AFB becomes the temporary United States capital after a nuclear blast destroys Washington, D.C., and four other cities in Lee Boyland's "Clash of Civilizations" trilogy.
- Kirtland AFB plays a key role in the plot of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs 2023 novel "Dead Mountain"
See also
- Kirtland AFB UFO sighting
- List of United States Air Force installations
- New Mexico World War II Army Airfields
Notes and references
- ^ "Airport Diagram – Albuquerque Intl Sunport (ABQ)" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ "Kirtland Air Force Base > Home > Welcome". www.kirtland.af.mil. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ "Kirtland AFB Base Guide". Military.com. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ Shamim, Asif (23 February 2010). "Kirtland AFB to lose F-16s". F-16 Fighting Falcon News. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc Van Citters, Karen; Bisson, Kristen (June 2003). "National Register of Historic Places Historic Context and Evaluation for Kirtland Air Force Base" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Kirtland AFB Guide/Directory - History". kirtland.baseguide.net.
- ^ Reed, Ollie (9 April 2016). "KAFB home to massive nuclear storage complex". Albuquerque Journal. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
Unofficially, it's the largest storage center for nuclear weapons in the world...
- ^ Hoffman, Michael, "Two wings get F on nuclear inspection", Air Force Times 27 November 2009.
- Military Times, 11 February 2010.
- Military Times, 12 February 2010.
- Military Times, 12 June 2010.
- ^ a b "Kirtland Air Force Base > Units > 377th Air Base Wing". www.kirtland.af.mil. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ "Kirtland Air Force Base > Units > 377th Air Base Wing". www.kirtland.af.mil. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ "Units". Kirtland Air Force Base. US Air Force. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "58th Special Operations Wing". Air Education and Training Command. US Air Force. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ "Units". 150th Special Operations Wing. US Air Force. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ T. Ham IV, Walter (11 February 2015). "21st EOD Company Soldiers test high tech tool". US Army. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "Distributed Mission Operations Center (DMOC)". Lockheed Martin. 25 June 2019. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Missile Defence Agency – Organization" (PDF). Missile Defence Agency. May 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ a b c Fleck, John (19 June 2014). "Water wells will close over any jet fuel contamination". Albuquerque Journal. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017.
- ^ Stapleton, Sheryl Williams (17 February 2014). "Legislation Passed to Address Kirtland Fuel Spill". Los Alamos Daily Post. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ^ McCoy, Dave (July 2013). "Kirtland AFB Discovered Leaking Jet Fuel Earlier Than 1999 Then Failed to Investigate and Remediate". Citizen Action New Mexico. Archived from the original on 28 June 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ^ a b Swarts, Phillip (27 July 2015). "New wells address Kirtland fuel cleanup". Air Force Times. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017.
- ^ Clausing, Jeri (20 July 2012). "Kirtland Air Force Base Jet Fuel Spill Threatens Albuquerque Water Supply". AP. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012.
- ^ "Ethylene Dibromide (EDB) (Revised)". CDC. 1981. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Kirtland AFB CDP, New Mexico". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- US Census Bureau.
- ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Kirtland AFB CDP, New Mexico". United States Census Bureau.
Sources
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Much of this text in an early version of this article was taken from pages on the Kirtland Air Force Base Website, which as a work of the U.S. Government is presumed to be a public domain resource. That information was supplemented by:
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556.
- Mueller, Robert (1989). Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. USAF Reference Series, Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites, History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC. OCLC 57007862, 1050653629
External links
- Official website
- 377th Force Support Squadron
- Resources for this U.S. military airport:
- FAA airport information for ABQ
- AirNav airport information for KABQ
- ASN accident history for ABQ
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KABQ