Schwäbisch Gmünd Army Airfield

The airfield's closure was a direct result of the end of the Cold War and major geopolitical shifts. The primary reason was the implementation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. This treaty mandated the elimination of all ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The airfield's sole purpose was to support the 56th Field Artillery Command and its Pershing II nuclear missiles stationed at the adjacent base. With the removal of the last missiles in 1990 and the deactivation of the 56th Field Artillery Command in mid-1991, the airfield's mission became obsolete. The facility was officially returned to German authorities in 1992 as part of the broader drawdown of US military forces in Europe.

The site of the former airfield and military base has been completely transformed. After being returned to the German government, the area was demilitarized and redeveloped into the 'Gewerbe- und Landschaftspark Mutlanger Heide' (Business and Landscape Park Mutlanger Heide). The original military infrastructure, including the heliport, barracks, and missile bunkers, has been demolished. In its place is a modern business park with various commercial and light industrial companies. In a nod to its past, one of the main streets in the park is named 'Amerikastraße'. A significant portion of the former base is also now home to a large solar farm, generating renewable energy.

Schwäbisch Gmünd Army Airfield, more commonly known as Mutlangen Army Heliport, was not a public airport but a critical US Army facility during the height of the Cold War. Its historical significance is immense and tied directly to the nuclear arms race.

- **Pershing II Missile Base:** The airfield served the adjacent US Army base, nicknamed the 'Presidio of Mutlangen', which housed the headquarters of the 56th Field Artillery Command. This command controlled all Pershing II nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missiles in Europe.

- **Cold War Flashpoint:** Beginning in late 1983, the deployment of Pershing II missiles at Mutlangen made it one of the most strategically important and controversial military sites in the world. It was a primary target for the Soviet military and a central symbol of the nuclear standoff between NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

- **Aviation Operations:** The airfield itself handled helicopter operations, primarily UH-1 'Huey' and CH-47 'Chinook' helicopters. These aircraft were used for command and control, rapid transport of personnel and equipment, medical evacuation, and providing security for the highly sensitive missile convoys when they deployed from the base for field exercises.

- **Center of the Peace Movement:** The base and its airfield became the focal point of the German and European peace movements in the 1980s. From 1983 until the missiles were removed, the site was the location of numerous large-scale protests, blockades, and acts of civil disobedience. These events attracted hundreds of thousands of protestors, including prominent figures like Nobel Prize-winning author Günter Grass, Green Party co-founder Petra Kelly, and numerous international activists, making 'Mutlangen' a household name synonymous with anti-nuclear protest.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the site as an airfield. The land has been entirely and successfully repurposed for civilian commercial and industrial use. The complete redevelopment of the area with new buildings, roads, and a solar park makes any return to aviation activities physically impossible and economically infeasible.