The airfield at Phan Rang was used by the Japanese during World War II. In the late 1940s and early 1950s the French Air Force used the same 3,500-foot runway. To accommodate the expanding Vietnam War, Phan Rang Air Base was quickly expanded by the USAF in 1966 to accommodate both American and South Vietnamese fighter and helicopter units.
The airfield consisted of two 10,000-foot concrete runways with parallel taxiways and covered and open aircraft revetments along with several ramps and parking aprons on both sides of the runways. They were constructed with asphalt and AM-2 pierced steel aprons. The USAF forces stationed there were under the command of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Seventh Air Force.
The 366th Tactical Fighter Wing was the first host unit at Phan Rang. It was transferred from Holloman Air Force Base New Mexico on March 20, 1966. At Phan Rang, the 366th TFW consisted of the following operational squadrons:
Attached from 354th TFW, Myrtle Beach AFB South Carolina
Attached from 401st TFW England AFB Louisiana
Attached from 401st TFW England AFB Louisiana
On October 10, 1966, the 389th TFS and the 366th wing designation were transferred to Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, in an administrative transfer giving the 366th new personnel, equipment, and facilities. The move made the 366th an entirely F-4 Wing at Da Nang, leaving Phan Rang to be an F-100 base.
The 35th Tactical Fighter Wing took over as the host unit at Phan Rang on October 10, 1966, being transferred from Da Nang Air Base. The move from Da Nang made the 35th TFW an entirely F-100 wing. The 35th sustained continuous air operations there until they moved from Vietnam, together with the RAAF's No. 2 Squadron of Canberra bombers as at the end of May 1971.
Missions included air support of ground forces, interdiction, visual and armed reconnaissance, strike assessment photography, escort, close and direct air support, and rapid reaction alert. It struck enemy bases and supply caches in Parrot's Beak just inside the Cambodian border, April–May 1970 and provided close air support and interdiction in support of South Vietnamese operations in Laos and Cambodia, January–June 1971.
The 35th TFW was inactivated on July 31, 1971. The wing's remaining resources passed to the 315th Tactical Airlift Wing (see below). The 35th TFW was later reactivated at George Air Force Base California on October 1, 1971.
F-100 Super Sabre
TDY Deployed from the Colorado Air National Guard
The 614 and 615 TFS were deployed squadrons from the 401 TFW at England Air Force Base Louisiana and were reassigned to Phan Rang from Da Nang in October 1966. Another attached component, actually a de facto squadron, was the F-100-equipped 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron. When the 612th deployed to Japan, the 120 TFS deployed from the Colorado Air National Guard in April 1968, remaining until April 1969. With its personnel returning to the United States, the squadron was re-designated the 612 TFS.
The 612th TFS and 614th TFS were deactivated in place on July 31, 1971 and were reassigned back to the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, now assigned to Torrejon Air Force Base Spain. The 352d TFS and the 615th TFS were deactivated in place along with the 35th TFW, standing down from operations on June 26, 1971.
B-57 Canberra
Deployed from the 405th TFW at Clark AB, Philippines.
Other Units
The 35th TFW gained an A-37B squadron (8th Special Operations Squadron) in September 1970.
Also attached to the wing at Phan Rang was Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No. 2 Squadron, equipped with English Electric Canberra bombers, which provided day and night bombing, photo strike assessment, and close air support; primarily for the 1st Australian Task Force in Phuoc Tuy Province.
Detachment 8, 14th Aerial Port Squadron was responsible for the air freight and passenger services function for the base and moving personnel and cargo in-country. The C-123 Provider, C-130 Hercules and C-7 Caribou squadrons provided the airlift. 14th Aerial Port Squadron was headquartered at Cam Rahn Bay (VCR).
Also at Phan Rang was the 554 CES Red Horse unit; its primary job was to build the base. It built the shelters for all of the aircraft. There was a rock crusher on site, a cement plant and an asphalt plant to supply the surrounding area with material to help improve the way of life on base.
The 315th performed C-123 airlift operations in Vietnam. Operations included aerial movement of troops and cargo, flare drops, defoliation missions, aeromedical evacuation, and air-drops of critical supplies and paratroops.
The wing expanded its mission with the added responsibility of the control of the interdiction operations being conducted by the 8th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) and the psychological warfare and visual reconnaissance operations of the 9th SOS.
In 1971–1972 the unit helped to train C-123 aircrews for the South Vietnamese Air Force and the Wing gained control over close air support missions flown by Cessna A-37 Dragonfly aircrews.
The wing was redesignated as the 315th Tactical Airlift Wing on January 1, 1970, and remained that way until the Wing’s deactivation on March 31, 1972.
The 9th, 19th, 309th and 311th SOS were deactivated in place.
The 8th and 310th SOS were reassigned on January 15, 1972. The 8th to Bien Hoa Air Base and the 310th to Tan Son Nhut Air Base.
The 14th Special Operations Wing operated from Phan Rang from October 15, 1969, transferring operational squadrons from Nha Trang Air Base.
Flying the C-123K, operations included close and direct air support, interdiction, combat airlift, aerial resupply, visual and photographic reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, counterinsurgency operations, psychological warfare (including leaflet dropping and aerial broadcasting), forward air control (FAC) operations and escort, search and rescue, escort for convoy and defoliation operations, flare drops, civic actions, and humanitarian actions.
The wing provided maintenance support for a number of tenants. Trained South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) personnel in AC-119 operations and maintenance, February–August 1971, and transferred some of its AC-119s to the South Vietnamese Air Force during August and September 1971 as part of a phase-down for inactivation.
The wing deactivated in place on September 30, 1971 as part of the US withdrawal from South Vietnam.
Squadrons assigned were: