Knislinge Air Base

Decommissioned as part of Sweden's post-Cold War military restructuring. The strategic need for the extensive Bas 90 wartime air base system, of which Knislinge was a part, diminished significantly with the end of the Cold War. This, combined with the closure of the main air wing F 10 Ängelholm in 2002, made the base redundant. The closure was driven by economic reasons and a fundamental shift in national defense strategy.

The site has reverted to its primary civilian function. The former runway is a public road, Route 119, used for regular traffic between Knislinge and Glimåkra. While faint runway markings may still be visible on the road surface via satellite imagery, the associated military infrastructure, such as the forested dispersal sites and service stands, is largely abandoned, overgrown, and in a state of decay. The long, straight stretch of road is reportedly used for unofficial vehicle gatherings and illegal street racing events, a common fate for many of these decommissioned road bases.

Knislinge Air Base was a 'reservvägbas' (reserve road base), an integral part of Sweden's Cold War-era Bas 60 and later Bas 90 air base systems. Its primary purpose was to act as a dispersal site for the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) in the event of war. A specific section of public road (now Route 119) was widened and strengthened to serve as a runway, with hidden aircraft parking and service areas ('framom') in the adjacent forest. This strategy allowed combat aircraft, particularly the STOL-capable Saab 37 Viggen, to be dispersed from their vulnerable main bases to avoid being destroyed in a first strike. The base was designed for rapid, temporary activation by mobile ground crews (Basbataljon) and was likely assigned to support squadrons from the nearby F 10 Ängelholm or F 17 Kallinge air wings. It was never a permanently staffed airport but was maintained in a state of readiness and used for military exercises.

There are no known official plans or prospects for reopening Knislinge Air Base for military use. While the Swedish Armed Forces have shown renewed interest in the road base concept due to the changing geopolitical climate and have reactivated a small number of other sites for exercises, Knislinge is not among those publicly identified for reactivation. The cost of restoring the base to modern operational standards, combined with its relative strategic priority, makes its reopening highly unlikely.