Gilze-Rijen Air Base

Gilze-Rijen Air Base is located in the southern Netherlands between the cities of Breda and Tilburg in the province of North Brabant. Established in 1910, it is the oldest airfield in the Netherlands. Military aviation at the site began in 1913. During the Second World War, the German Luftwaffe occupied and expanded the base. After the liberation of the southern Netherlands, the Royal Air Force took control of the facility.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force resumed operations at the airfield in 1946. It served as a training base for pilots and air traffic controllers until 1962, when it was reduced to a reserve base for bomber aircraft. Training activities resumed in 1967 using Fokker S-11, Piper Cub, and Fokker F27 aircraft. Between 1971 and 1995, the base hosted fighter squadrons operating Northrop NF-5 and General Dynamics F-16 aircraft. In 1995, the base transitioned to helicopter operations, and in 2009 it became the main operating base for military helicopters in the Netherlands.

The base is operated by the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force and hosts the Defence Helicopter Command. Stationed units include No. 298 Squadron, which operates CH-47D/F Chinook helicopters; No. 300 Squadron, operating AS532U2 Cougar Mk 2 helicopters; and No. 301 Squadron, operating AH-64D Apache attack helicopters. No. 299 Squadron provides helicopter training and standards, while No. 930 and No. 931 Squadrons manage maintenance, logistics, and base operations. The installation also houses the Centre for Man in Aviation, which includes the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) School and the Operational Healthcare (OGZ) department.

Infrastructure at the base includes 30 Hardened Aircraft Shelters. The facility also hosts the Royal Air Force Historic Flight Foundation, which maintains a fleet of historic military aircraft including the Supermarine Spitfire, B-25 Mitchell, Noorduyn Harvard, and Fokker S-11. Additionally, the Gilzer Luchtvaartclub Illustrious operates a fleet of gliders from the base outside of military opening hours.