Mabalacat West Airfield (Kamikaze West)

Military redundancy and abandonment. The airfield was built by the Japanese Imperial Army for a specific wartime purpose. It became obsolete and unnecessary after Allied forces recaptured the area at the end of World War II and re-established the much larger and better-equipped Clark Air Base. The airfield was effectively abandoned and absorbed into the vast Clark military reservation.

The site is completely defunct as an airfield. The original runway is still faintly visible on satellite imagery but is heavily overgrown, deteriorated, and has been bisected by modern roads associated with the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and local developments. The land is now part of the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone and is undergoing significant redevelopment for commercial, industrial, and residential purposes. The area is being integrated into the urban and economic expansion of the Clark region.

Mabalacat West Airfield holds significant World War II history. It was constructed by the Japanese Imperial Army during their occupation of the Philippines. It was part of a complex of airfields around Mabalacat, including the main Mabalacat Airfield (now part of Clark International Airport). This complex is infamous as the location from which the first official 'Kamikaze' (Special Attack Corps) missions were launched in October 1944 against the US Navy during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. While Mabalacat East Airfield is more commonly cited as the primary launch point, Mabalacat West supported these operations, likely serving as a fighter and bomber dispersal field. Its existence is a direct link to one of the most desperate and notorious tactics of the Pacific War.

None. There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Mabalacat West Airfield as an aviation facility. Its proximity to the modern and expanding Clark International Airport (CRK/RPLC), its deteriorated and obsolete condition, and the high value of the land for ongoing commercial and infrastructure development make its reactivation as an airport both extremely unlikely and impractical.