Woensdrecht Air Base

Woensdrecht Air Base is located between the villages of Woensdrecht and Huijbergen, south of Bergen op Zoom in the Netherlands near the Belgian border. Established in 1934 as a glider and training airfield for the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), the facility was expanded during the Second World War under German occupation. The Luftwaffe deployed Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft from the site until it was captured by Allied forces in December 1944. Following its use as an Advanced Landing Ground, the base was returned to the RNLAF for training purposes. In 1983, the base was designated to house the 486th Tactical Missile Wing of the U.S. Seventeenth Air Force. Although facilities for ground-launched cruise missiles were completed, the mission was cancelled following the implementation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

The Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force (RNLASF) currently utilizes the site as a training and logistical base. It does not normally house combat units. The RNLASF operates a fleet of Pilatus PC-7 aircraft from the facility for elementary flying training. Infrastructure includes maintenance and logistical facilities, with the base hosting Fokker Services. This civilian tenant provides maintenance for Fokker and other aircraft types, resulting in the regular presence of various Fokker aircraft at the installation.