🇨🇳 Shanghai Dachang Air Base

Shanghai Dachang Air Base (CN-0169) is a midsized military airport located northwest of Shanghai in the Baoshan district, China. It is believed to be the home garrison for the Eastern Theater Navy (ETN) Special Mission Aviation (SMA) division.

Type of Facility and Operations: The air base primarily functions as a military facility. It likely supports Special Mission Aviation (SMA) operations, which enable the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to conduct tasks such as anti-submarine warfare (ASW), electronic intelligence (ELINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT collection, and air defense. The airport has a single runway, identified as 17/35.

Notable Features or History: Historically, Shanghai Dachang Air Base was one of several airfields in the Shanghai area, including Longhua, Hongqiao, and Jiangwan. For a period, it was occasionally used as an emergency or test runway. The facility underwent significant renovation and expansion of its facilities, including runways, taxiways, apron space, and support facilities, starting in late 2021 and concluding around late 2022. These upgrades aimed to accommodate more SMA aircraft and included the construction of additional sunshades for these airframes.

Current Status: As of late 2022, Shanghai Dachang Air Base completed a renovation and expansion project. While some sources from 2022 mentioned reports of its official closure by early 2021, other information suggests it remains in active use by the PLA Naval air force, with some KJ-500 tactical AWACS reportedly stationed there. The airport does not have a public ICAO code but uses CN-0169 as a reference.