Naval Air Facility Atsugi

NAF Atsugi
NAF Atsugi
厚木海軍飛行場 (Atsugi Kaigun-hikōjō)
Ayase, Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan
	Aerial view of NAF Atsugi during 2007
Site information
Type	Joint Japanese and United States air base
Owner	Government of Japan
Operator	Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF); US Navy (USN);
Controlled by	Fleet Air Force (JMSDF); Navy Region Japan (USN);
Condition	Operational
Website	Official website
Location
	NAF Atsugi Location in Japan
Coordinates	35°27′17″N 139°27′00″E / 35.45472°N 139.45000°E
Site history
Built	1938
In use	1938 – present
Garrison information
Current; commander	Captain Manning Montagnet (USN)
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: NJA, ICAO: RJTA, WMO: 476790
Elevation	62.4 metres (205 ft) AMSL
Runways
01/19	2,438 metres (7,999 ft) Concrete
	Source: Japanese AIP at AIS Japan

Naval Air Facility Atsugi (厚木海軍飛行場, Atsugi Kaigun-hikōjō) (IATA: NJA, ICAO: RJTA) is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean, and once housed all of the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), which deploys with the American aircraft carrier forward deployed to Yokosuka Naval Base.

During 2017 and 2018 the fixed-wing aircraft squadrons of CVW-5 relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in western Japan leaving only its two helicopter squadrons at Atsugi. In addition to the two CVW-5 helicopter squadrons NAF Atsugi is also home to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 51 (HSM-51), which provides detachments of MH-60R helicopters to forward deployed U.S. Navy guided missile cruisers, guided missile destroyers, and frigates at the nearby Yokosuka Naval Base. Service members stationed at Atsugi also work in conjunction with the former Kamiseya Naval Radio Receiving Facility.

Despite its name, the base is 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) east northeast from the city of Atsugi, and is not adjacent to the city.