page_title: Tan Son Nhut Air Base
section_title: Republic of Vietnam Air Force use
hierarchical_section_title: Tan Son Nhut Air Base / Republic of Vietnam Air Force use
caption_attribution_description: English: South Vietnamese Air Force C-47s at Tan Son Nhut Air Base.
context_page_description: Tan Son Nhut Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. It was located near the city of Saigon in southern Vietnam. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War, stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there. Following the Fall of Saigon, it was taken over as a Vietnam People's Air Force facility and remains in use today.
  Tan Son Nhat International Airport, has been a major Vietnamese civil airport since the 1920s.
context_section_description: In late 1951, the French Air Force established the RVNAF 312th Special Mission Squadron at Tan Son Nhat Airfield equipped with Morane 500 Criquet liaison aircraft.
  In 1952 a heliport was constructed at the base for use by French Air Force medical evacuation helicopters.
  In 1953, Tan Son Nhut started being used as a military air base for the fledgling RVNAF, and in 1956 the headquarters were moved from the center of Saigon to Tan Son Nhut. But even before that time, French and Vietnamese military aircraft were in evidence at Tan Son Nhut.
  On 1 July 1955, the RVNAF 1st Transport Squadron equipped with C-47 Skytrains was established at the base. The RVNAF also had a special missions squadron at the base equipped with 3 C-47s, 3 C-45s and 1 L-26. The 1st Transport Squadron would be renamed the 413rd Air Transport Squadron in January 1963.
  In June 1956 the 2nd Transport Squadron equipped with C-47s was established at the base and the RVNAF established its headquarters there. It would be renamed the 415th Air Transport Squadron in January 1963.
  In November 1956, by agreement with the South Vietnamese government, the USAF assumed some training and administrative roles of the RVNAF. A full handover of training responsibility took place on 1 June 1957 when the French training contracts expired.
  On 1 June 1957 the RVNAF 1st Helicopter Squadron was established at the base without equipment. It operated with the French Air Force unit serving the International Control Commission and in April 1958 with the departure of the French it inherited its 10 H-19 helicopters.
  In October 1959 the 2nd Liaison Squadron equipped with L-19 Bird Dogs moved to the base from Nha Trang.
  In mid-December 1961 the USAF began delivery of 30 T-28 Trojans to the RVNAF at Tan Son Nhut.
  In December 1962 the 293rd Helicopter Squadron was activated at the base, it was inactivated in August 1964.
  In late 1962 the RVNAF formed the 716th Composite Reconnaissance Squadron initially equipped with 2 C-45 photo-reconnaissance aircraft.
  In January 1963 the USAF opened an H-19 pilot training facility at the base and by June the first RVNAF helicopter pilots had graduated.
  In January 1963 the 211th Helicopter Squadron equipped with UH-34s replaced the 1st Helicopter Squadron.
  In December 1963 the 716th Composite Reconnaissance Squadron was activated at the base, equipped with C-47s and T-28s. The squadron would be inactivated in June 1964 and its mission assumed by the 2nd Air Division, while its pilots formed the 520th Fighter Squadron at Bien Hoa Air Base.
  In January 1964 all RVNAF units at the base came under the control of the newly established 33rd Tactical Wing.
  By midyear, the RVNAF had grown to thirteen squadrons; four fighter, four observation, three helicopter, and two C-47 transport. The RVNAF followed the practice of the U.S. Air Force, organizing the squadrons into wings, with one wing located in each of the four corps tactical zones at Cần Thơ Air Base, Tan Son Nhut AB, Pleiku Air Base and Da Nang Air Base.
  In May 1965 the Douglas A-1 Skyraider equipped 522nd Fighter Squadron was activated at the base.
caption: RVNAF C-47 Skytrains of the 413th Transportation Squadron on the crowded flightline at Tan Son Nhut along with a Royal Air Force De Havilland Dove and several other aircraft
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