McCalla Field

McCalla Field was closed to fixed-wing aircraft operations due to military modernization and operational redundancy. The primary reason was its replacement by the much larger and more capable Leeward Point Field (now Guantanamo Bay Naval Air Station, MUGM) located on the opposite side of the bay. McCalla Field's runway was too short and ill-equipped to handle the larger, heavier, and faster jet aircraft that became standard for the U.S. military post-WWII. Leeward Point Field was specifically developed to accommodate these modern aircraft, making McCalla Field obsolete for its original purpose.

The site of the former McCalla Field is now integrated into the main infrastructure of the Windward side of the naval station. While the faint outline of the old runway is still visible from the air, the area has been extensively repurposed. It currently houses various base support facilities, including administrative buildings, family housing, recreational areas, and storage facilities. A key function of the area is hosting the ferry terminal that provides transportation across the bay to the Leeward side, where the current airport is located. The site is still used for aviation, but exclusively for helicopter operations, with designated helipads located on the grounds of the former airfield.

McCalla Field holds significant historical importance as the first permanent airfield established at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in 1931. Named after Rear Admiral Bowman H. McCalla, it was a cornerstone of U.S. naval aviation in the Caribbean for decades. Initially, it operated both land-based planes and seaplanes, utilizing a ramp into Guantanamo Bay. During World War II, the airfield was a critical base for anti-submarine patrol squadrons hunting German U-boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Windward Passage. It also played a supporting role during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, handling reconnaissance and utility aircraft, although the primary jet operations had already shifted to Leeward Point Field. For many years, it was the aviation hub on the main (Windward) side of the naval base.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening McCalla Field as a fixed-wing airport. The site has been thoroughly redeveloped with permanent infrastructure that would be costly and difficult to remove. Furthermore, the modern Guantanamo Bay Naval Air Station (Leeward Point Field) is fully operational and capable of meeting all current and foreseeable fixed-wing aviation requirements for the naval base. Reopening McCalla Field would be operationally redundant, economically impractical, and strategically unnecessary.