Battle of Rio Hato Airfield

Battle of Rio Hato Airfield
Part of the United States invasion of Panama
Rio Hato Battle of Rio Hato Airfield (Panama)
Date 20 December 1989 Location Rio Hato, Panama Result American victory
Belligerents
United States	Panama
Commanders and leaders
COL William F. Kernan	Maj. Gonzalo Gonzalez
Units involved
75th Ranger Regiment 2nd Ranger Battalion 3rd Ranger Battalion	Panama Defense Forces 7th Macho de Monte Infantry Company 6th Rifle Company 7th Rifle Company
Strength
837 Rangers 13 C-130 transport planes 2 AC-130H gunships 2 F-117A attackers 2 AH-64 helicopters 2 MH-6 helicopters	520 soldiers 150 automatic rifles 42 machine guns 9 Bazookas 4 recoilless rifles 23 mortars 19 armoured vehicles 6 ZPU AA guns
Casualties and losses
4 killed 44 wounded	34 killed 362 captured 200+ escaped
Low civilian casualties

The Battle of Rio Hato Airfield took place as an opening action of the United States invasion of Panama, and was fought between the U.S military and the Panama Defense Forces (PDF) on 20 December 1989. The action saw US paratroopers launch a surprise attack against the PDF at Rio Hato, the largest PDF military base in the country, approximately seventy miles south of Panama City.

The objective of the attack was to capture the PDF garrison at the base, secure the airfield runway, and seize dictator Manuel Noriega's beachside house.^[1]