🇺🇸 Nellis Air Force Base

Nellis Air Force Base (KLSV), located approximately eight miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, is a United States Air Force facility and a major focal point for advanced combat aviation training. It is a military airport requiring prior permission for landing,.

Notable Features and History:

• Origins: Opened in 1949 as Las Vegas Air Force Base, it was renamed in honor of Lieutenant William Harrell Nellis, a P-47 pilot killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. Its origins trace back to the Las Vegas Army Air Field in late 1941.
• Training Hub: Initially an advanced pilot training base, its mission evolved to F-86 flight training and gunnery, and later to advanced, graduate-level weapons training. During the Korean War, training at Nellis was credited with the F-86's 14-1 kill ratio against the MiG-15.
• USAF Warfare Center: In 1966, the USAF Tactical Fighter Weapons Center (now U.S. Air Force Warfare Center - USAFWC) was activated at Nellis. The USAFWC provides training for composite strike forces including all types of U.S. Air Force aircraft, as well as Army, Navy, Marines, and allied air units.
• Red Flag and Green Flag: Nellis is home to the Red Flag air-to-air exercises, which began in 1975, and the Green Flag-West air-to-ground training mission, which moved to Nellis in 1990.
• Extensive Area: The base itself covers over 14,000 acres, and its restricted ranges, including the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), encompass about 5,000 square miles, with an additional 7,700 miles of airspace available for military flight operations,.

Current Status: Nellis Air Force Base is part of the Air Combat Command and continues to be a major focal point for advanced combat aviation training, operational test and evaluation, and tactics development. It operates 24 hours a day, year-round,. The base has multiple runways, including a longest paved runway of 10,120 ft, and supports helicopter operations. The total military population, including family members and retirees, is close to 60,000, and the workforce of about 14,000 military and civilians makes it a significant employer in Southern Nevada.

*Sources researched: nellis.af.mil, aopa.org, airnav.com, britannica.com*