RAAF Base Amberley
| RAAF Base Amberley | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich, Queensland in Australia | |||||||||
A RAAF C-17 Globemaster III taking off from RAAF Base Amberley, with KC-30 and F/A-18F aircraft in the background | |||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Military airbase | ||||||||
| Owner | Department of Defence | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Australian Air Force | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
Location in Queensland | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 27°38′26″S 152°42′43″E / 27.64056°S 152.71194°E | ||||||||
| Area | 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | June 1940 | ||||||||
| In use | June 1940 – present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Occupants | |||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO: YAMB, WMO: 94568 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 28 metres (91 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart | |||||||||
RAAF Base Amberley (ICAO: YAMB) is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located 8 km (5.0 mi) southwest of Ipswich, Queensland in Australia and 50 km (31 mi) southwest of Brisbane CBD. It is the largest military airbase in Australia.
Amberley is one of two defence 'super bases' in Australia, with the other being RAAF Base Edinburgh, and is home to over 5,000 uniformed and civilian personnel. The base is currently home to No. 1 Squadron (operating the F/A-18F Super Hornet), No. 6 Squadron (operating the EA-18G Growler), No. 33 Squadron (operating the Airbus KC-30A), No. 35 Squadron (operating the C-27J Spartan) and No. 36 Squadron (operating the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III). Amberley is also home to Army units making up the 9th Force Support Battalion (9 FSB).
There are a variety of other formations on the base such as training colleges and maintenance areas. Amberley's largest squadron in terms of personnel is No. 382 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron RAAF (ECSS) providing both garrison and deployed combat support. Amberley was one of only two airfields in Australia (the other being Darwin International Airport) that were listed as a Transoceanic Abort (TOA) landing site for the Space Shuttle. Amberley is currently undergoing a A$64 million dollar re-development program.