Eindhoven Air Base (Vliegveld Welschap)

Eindhoven Air Base is located 7.6 kilometers west of Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Established in 1932 as Vliegveld Welschap, the airfield was acquired by the Dutch military in 1939. During the Battle of the Netherlands, German forces captured the facility and operated it as Fliegerhorst Eindhoven. Control was returned to the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1952. Historically, the base hosted fighter units operating the Republic F-84 Thunderjet, F-84F Thunderstreak, Northrop NF-5A/B, and General Dynamics F-16A/B. Following the Cold War, the base transitioned to a military transport role, having previously hosted F27-300M Troopship, Fokker 50, Fokker 60, and McDonnell Douglas KDC-10 aircraft.

The facility is currently a joint-use airport for civilian and military operations. It hosts the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s 334 Squadron, which operates Airbus A330 MRTT and Gulfstream G650ER aircraft, and 336 Squadron, which operates Lockheed C-130H Hercules. Support is provided by the 940 Maintenance Support Squadron and 941 Miscellaneous Support Squadron. Since 2007, the base has served as the headquarters for the Movement Coordination Centre Europe (MCCE), which coordinates air-to-air refueling, surface transport, and air transport assets for participating nations. It also hosts the European Air Transport Command (EATC), which manages shared aerial assets for seven European nations and coordinates A400M standardization.

Infrastructure includes civilian passenger facilities, a terminal building constructed in 1984, a business centre, and on-site hotels. The base functions as a multinational location for air transport and logistics coordination.