Type Air Force Base In use 1967-Present Province Yen Bai Province | Built 1960s Battles/wars Vietnam War | |
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Controlled by Vietnam People's Air Force | ||
Yên Bái Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) (Không quân Nhân dân Việt Nam) military airfield located north-northwest of Yên Bái.
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Vietnam War
On 15 November 1967 F-105s of the 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron bombed the base as part of a Commando Club guided bombing mission.
In February 1969 the 925th Fighter Regiment was formed at the base operating the MiG-17F and Shenyang J-6.
On 10 May 1972 a VPAF J-6 of the 925th Fighter Regiment ran out of fuel after a combat air patrol mission, deadsticked from an altitude of 1,400 meters, descending too rapidly, and overran the runway overturning and exploding, killing the pilot instantly.
On 1 June 1972 F-4D #65-0784 was shot down by a VPAF J-6 near the base, the weapons system operator Capt Roger Locher successfully evaded capture for 23 days before being rescued.
Current use
The VPAF 931st Fighter Squadron operating Su-22M-4/UM-3K is based at Yên Bái.