Deelen Air Base (Militair Luchtvaart Terrein Deelen)

Deelen Air Base is located in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands. Established in 1913 for border patrol missions, it is among the oldest aviation sites in the country. During World War II, the Luftwaffe occupied and expanded the facility, installing anti-aircraft guns and constructing a railway from Wolfheze to supply munitions and materials for a command bunker. The base served as the headquarters for the 1. Jagd Division, later redesignated the 3. Jagd Division, and operated Focke-Wulf Fw 190, Messerschmitt Bf 110, and Junkers Ju 88 aircraft. Following Allied bombing in 1944, the site functioned as a V-1 flying bomb depot.

In the post-war period, the Royal Netherlands Air Force used the site for storage until its 1950 restoration as an operational base. It hosted Republic RF-84F Thunderflash photo reconnaissance aircraft from 1957 to 1963. Between 1964 and 1995, the airfield supported various light aircraft and helicopters, including the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, Piper J-3, Hiller OH-23 Raven, Aérospatiale Alouette II and III, and Bölkow 105.

The base was closed in 1995 and redesignated as Military Aviation Site Deelen. During this period, the runway surface was altered to prevent use by heavy aircraft. It was later redesignated as an Air Base to function as a helicopter training site and reduce traffic at Gilze-Rijen Air Base. Current infrastructure includes a resurfaced portion of the runway and a specialized slope for practicing sloped landings. Several buildings on the site are listed as monuments. Although no units or aircraft are permanently stationed at Deelen, the base supports training operations for Boeing AH-64 Apache, Boeing CH-47 Chinook, and Eurocopter AS532 Cougar helicopters. The facility also hosts glider activity.