🇨🇳 Fuzhou Air Base

Fuzhou Air Base (CN-0149), also known as Fuzhou Yixu Airport, is an active military airport located on the south side of Gaogai Mountain, Nantai Island, Cangshan District, near downtown Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China.

Type of Facility and Operations:

• It is a military-only facility operated by the People's Liberation Army Air Force.
• The base has one runway, 08/26, which is 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) long and 164 feet wide, with a concrete surface,.
• In 1969, it was estimated to support around 90 combat aircraft, primarily for fighter/intercept missions,.
• The base is located within the Shanghai Flight Information Region (FIR),.

Notable Features or History:

• Constructed in 1944 by Japanese forces, it was later taken over by the Republic of China Air Force and then the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
• It was a military-civilian dual-use airport from December 1, 1974, until June 23, 1997, when it transitioned to purely military use after the opening of Fuzhou Changle International Airport.
• An expansion completed in 1982 extended the main runway to 2,400 meters and added blind landing equipment and radars.
• In March 2000, it was reported that air-defense missiles, possibly Russian-made S-300s, were deployed near Fuzhou, with the airbase being one of the locations with HQ-2 facilities,.
• The base has experienced challenges due to its location near the city center and surrounded by mountains, leading to poor air quality, fog, and difficult landing conditions.

Current Status:

• Fuzhou Air Base is currently an active military-only airport.
• Recent imagery suggests only modest improvements since 1989, with no extensions to combat-related support capabilities like revetments or weapons storage areas,.

*Sources researched: globalsecurity.org, thepilotsdesk.com, globalmilitary.net, metar-taf.com, nuke.fas.org*