Aviano Air Base

Aviano Air Base is located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy, situated at the foot of the Southern Carnic Alps. Established by the Italian government in 1911, it served as Italy's first airport and a pilot training center. During World War I, the airfield supported missions against Austro-Hungarian and German forces. The installation was renamed Aeroporto Pagliano e Gori in 1919. During World War II, the base was used by the Italian Air Force and the German Luftwaffe until British forces captured the site in 1945. The Italian Air Force resumed operational control in 1947, and the United States Air Force (USAF) established a presence in 1954.

The Italian Air Force maintains administrative and military control of the base, which hosts the USAF 31st Fighter Wing. This wing operates squadrons of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, specifically the 510th and 555th Fighter Squadrons. The unit conducts attack and defensive missions and is the only U.S. fighter wing located south of the Alps. The base also houses the 31st Operations Group, 31st Maintenance Group, 31st Mission Support Group, 31st Medical Group, and the 603rd Air Control Squadron. Aviano participates in nuclear sharing, utilizing underground Weapon Storage and Security System (WS3) vaults to house B61 nuclear bombs within aircraft shelters.

Infrastructure is organized into functional sectors. Area F contains the flightline, runway, taxiways, and aircraft maintenance facilities. Area A1 and Area F host support functions, including Department of Defense Education Activity schools. The installation includes facilities for the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, an Armed Forces Network station, and the headquarters for the Carabinieri.

Historical operations conducted from Aviano include NATO missions in the Balkans such as Operation Deny Flight, Operation Deliberate Force, and Operation Allied Force. The base served as a launch point for airborne forces entering northern Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and provided support for Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2011, the installation hosted units for Operation Odyssey Dawn and Operation Unified Protector. In 2014, aircraft from the base supported the evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Tripoli.