Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base (Opon Airfield)

Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base, originally designated as Opon Airfield and later Mactan Air Base, is a Philippine Air Force installation located on Mactan Island in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu Province. The facility shares two runways with the civilian Mactan–Cebu International Airport.

Initial development of the airfield began in 1945 when U.S. Navy Seabee unit Acorn 51 and the 54th Naval Construction Battalion constructed early facilities and a runway. Following World War II, the U.S. Strategic Air Command designated the site as an emergency landing field. By 1965, base facilities consisted of a Philippine Air Force operations building, barracks, and an operational squadron of F-86 Sabre aircraft. During the Vietnam War, the United States Air Force expanded the installation into a permanent transport base, housing the 772nd and 774th Troop Carrier Squadrons of the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing, as well as the 606th Military Airlift Support Squadron servicing C-124 and C-133 aircraft. The Philippine Air Force operated fighter aircraft from the base during the 1970s Mindanao campaign. The United States Air Force transferred full control of the facility to the Philippine Air Force in 1991. The base was renamed Brigadier General Benito N. Ebuen Air Base in June 1996 in honor of a former Philippine Air Force chief.

The airbase supports Philippine Air Force operations in the Visayas region and hosts the Transport Wing. Primary units stationed at the facility include the Headquarters Air Mobility Command, the 220th Airlift Wing, the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing, Tactical Operations Wing Central, and the 560th Air Base Group. Additional units present include the 208th Tactical Helicopter Squadron, the 5052nd Search and Rescue Squadron of the 505th Search and Rescue Group, and the 1304th Dental Dispensary. The airfield infrastructure is capable of handling tactical helicopters, C-130 transports, and heavy strategic airlift platforms such as the C-5, C-17, V-22, and An-124.