Airbase
An
Airbase, sometimes referred to as a
military airport or
airfield, provides basing and support of
military aircraft.
Some airbases provide facilites very like civilian airports. For example,
RAF Brize Norton in
Oxfordshire,
England has a terminal which caters for passengers for the
Royal Air Force's scheduled flights, e.g. the
Tristar to the
Falkland Islands.
Other structures and equipment are specific to military airfields, e.g.:
*Anti-aircraft weapons, e.g.
surface-to-air missiles, to protect from air attack.
*
Hardened Aircraft Shelters to protect individual aircraft from aerial strikes.
An
aircraft carrier is a type of
naval ship which serves as a seaborne airbase, the development of them has greatly enhanced the capabilities of modern
air forces. They are now a key part of the military, allowing for military aircraft to be staged much nearer the theatre of conflict. Recent examples of their use includes the
Iraq war and the military operations to remove the
Taliban from power in
Afghanistan.
*
List of RAF stations*
Airstrip*
Air force base
