Aviano Air Base

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Aviano Air Base
Aeroporto Pagliano e Gori di Aviano
Near Aviano, Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Italy
A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon of the 31st Fighter Wing based at Aviano
Aviano Show map of Friuli-Venezia Giulia Aviano Show map of Italy Aviano Show map of Europe Aviano Show map of Mediterranean
Coordinates	46°01′53″N 012°35′49″E / 46.03139°N 12.59694°E / 46.03139; 12.59694
Type	Used by the US and Italian air forces
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence (Ministero della Difesa)
Operator	Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) and US Air Force
Controlled by	Italy[1]
Condition	Operational
Website	www.aviano.af.mil
Site history
Built	1911 (1911)
In use	1911–1954 (Italian Air Force) 1954–present (Italian Air Force and US Air Force)
Garrison information
Current commander	Colonel Luca Crovatti[2]
Garrison	31st Fighter Wing
Occupants	510th Fighter Squadron 555th Fighter Squadron 56th Rescue Squadron 57th Rescue Squadron 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron 31st Security Forces Squadron 510th Fighter Generation Squadron
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: AVB, ICAO: LIPA, WMO: 160360
Elevation	125.8 metres (413 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 05/23 2,616 metres (8,583 ft) Asphalt
Source: SkyVector Aeronautical Charts[3]

Aviano Air Base (IATA: AVB, ICAO: LIPA) (Italian: Base aerea di Aviano) is a base in northeastern Italy, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in the Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps or Southern Carnic Alps, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Pordenone.

The Italian Air Force has ownership, and administrative and military control of the base.^[1] It hosts the U.S. Air Force's 31st Fighter Wing and per nuclear sharing is one of six active air bases in five European countries with B61 nuclear bombs in underground WS3 Weapon Storage and Security System inside aircraft shelters.^[4]

The 31st Fighter Wing is the only U.S. fighter wing south of the Alps.^[5] The 31st Fighter Wing is made up of two General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter squadrons, the 555th Fighter Squadron and the 510th Fighter Squadron, allowing it to fly both attack and defensive missions.