RAF Ascension Island

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name = Royal Air Force Station Ascension


caption = Station crest
dates = 1942 - present
country = UK: Ascension Island, South Atlantic Ocean
allegiance = UK: British Armed Forces
branch = Royal Air Force
type = Flying station
role = Staging Post
size =
command_structure = UK: British Armed Forces
garrison = Ascension Island
garrison_label = Based
nickname = "Ascension", "Wideawake"
patron =
motto = "Auxilium Transmare"
colors =
colors_label = Royal Air Force Ensign
march = Royal Air Force March Past
mascot =
equipment =
equipment_label =
battles =
anniversaries =
decorations =
battle_honours =
commander1=
commander1_label=
commander2=
commander2_label=
commander3=
commander3_label=
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=A swallow in flight
identification_symbol_label=Station badge
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label=
identification_symbol_3=
identification_symbol_3_label=
identification_symbol_4=
identification_symbol_4_label=
aircraft_attack=
aircraft_bomber=
aircraft_electronic=
aircraft_fighter=
aircraft_interceptor=
aircraft_patrol=
aircraft_recon=
aircraft_trainer=
aircraft_transport=

Infobox Airport
name = RAF Ascension
nativename = Wideawake Field
nativename-a =
nativename-r =


image-width =
caption =
IATA = ASI
ICAO = FHAW
type = Military
owner = Ministry of Defence
operator = Royal Air Force / Serco Group
city-served =
location = Georgetown, Ascension Island, St. Helena
elevation-f = 278
elevation-m = 85
coordinates =
website =
metric-elev =
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 13/31
r1-length-f = 10,019
r1-length-m = 3,054
r1-surface = Asphalt
stat-year =
stat1-header =
stat1-data =
stat2-header =
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footnotes = No ILS

Royal Air Force Station Ascension, more commonly known as RAF Ascension Island, and sometimes known as Ascension Island Base, is a British military airbase on Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean, near the Equator.

In 1939 Ascension became important as a HF/DF radio station covering trade routes. After the United States entered World War II, an air strip was built using a US task force. [citeweb|url=http://www.les-smith.com/Ascension-Island/WideAwakeNews.htm|title=Ascension Island - The Wide-Awake News]

The first aircraft to land on Ascension Island was a Fairey Swordfish from HMS "Archer" in 1942. In 1943 the United States Army Air Force set up "Wideawake Airfield", by arrangement with the British government. The airfield was abandoned at the end of the war, and fell into disuse. The Americans returned in 1956, and reopened the airfield in 1957. The runway was lengthened and widened in the mid 1960s to allow for larger aircraft. USAF then, and later NASA established missile tracking facilities based at Cat Hill. Although NASA usage ended in 1967, USAF continues its usage with several hundred personnel, mostly contractors.

RAF Ascension Island was re-garrissoned by the RAF in 1982 and used extensively as a staging base during the Falklands War. Operation Black Buck, the long range bombing raids, were carried out from there. The base continues this staging post role for the Falkland Islands, for both the RAF and the United States Air Force.

ee also

*Royal Air Force station
*List of RAF stations
*List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

External links

* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/stations.cfm?selectLocation=Overseas Royal Air Force: Overseas Stations (RAF.mod.uk)]