Büchel Air Base serves Alflen, DE.
Büchel Air Base (ETSB) is a military air base operated by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) in Büchel, Germany, near Cochem. It is approximately 70 km from Spangdahlem Air Base.
Type of facility and operations: The base is home to the Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 33 (Tactical Air Force Wing 33), which operates German Panavia Tornado aircraft. It also hosts the United States Air Force's 702 Munitions Support Squadron (702 MUNSS), responsible for the storage, maintenance, and control of U.S. war reserve munitions, including B61 nuclear bombs, under NATO nuclear sharing arrangements. The base's infrastructure includes underground WS3 Weapon Storage and Security Systems within aircraft shelters.
Notable features or history: Büchel Air Base has been the sole location in Germany with nuclear weapons since their removal from Ramstein Air Base in 2007. The base has been a site of annual peace protests since 1996, with over one hundred activists sentenced for civil disobedience and trespassing. In 2020, there was opposition to replacing the B61-3 and B61-4 nuclear warheads with the latest B61-12 models, though a 2022 poll indicated a majority of Germans favored keeping nuclear weapons in the country.
Current status: As of 2022, the base had 2,000 military and civilian personnel. The German Federal Ministry of Defence is undertaking a €10 billion project to convert the airfield to accommodate F-35 aircraft, with completion scheduled for 2026. During this transition, Bundeswehr personnel are training at Nörvenich Air Base. The base's runway dimensions are 8,225 x 148 feet (2,507 x 45 meters) with an asphalt surface.
*Sources researched: en.wikipedia.org, skyvector.com, globalmilitary.net, pilotnav.com, installations.militaryonesource.mil*
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Where is Büchel Air Base located?
Büchel Air Base is located in Alflen, DE, at an elevation of 1568 ft. Its IATA code is — and ICAO code is ETSB.