Tan Son Nhut Air Base (Căn cứ không quân Tân Sơn Nhứt)

Tan Son Nhut Air Base is located near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Constructed by French colonial authorities in the 1930s as an unpaved airfield, the site was utilized by the Imperial Japanese Army as a transport base during World War II. The Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) began military operations at the facility in 1953 and designated it as its headquarters in 1956. Between 1959 and 1975, the base served as a primary installation for the United States military, hosting Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps units.

The base functioned as a command and control center, housing the Tactical Air Control System and various reconnaissance and transport wings. Infrastructure included concrete runways, an air-control radar station, and freight terminals. Following the 1968 Tet Offensive, the base was equipped with 165 reinforced aircraft shelters. Historical aircraft operated from the site included C-47, C-123, and C-130 transports; RF-101 and RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft; and F-5, A-37, and AC-119 combat aircraft. The base was also a key venue during multiple military coups, including the 1963 event that deposed the South Vietnamese government.

In April 1975, the facility was captured by the People's Army of Vietnam and transitioned to a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) installation. It currently operates as a joint civil-military airport under the management of the Vietnam Air Defence - Air Force. Military operations have been reduced as land has been converted for civilian development. Current military units stationed at the site are limited to air defense and logistics functions. The 917th Mixed Air Transport Regiment, which operated squadrons of Bell UH-1, Mil Mi-8, and Mil Mi-17 helicopters, relocated its operations from the base in 2017.