NAS Fallon by Paul Filmer

Situated on the edge of the desert in Nevada’s Lahontan Valley and neatly tucked within a mostly agricultural area is Naval Air Station Fallon.

The airfield was built in 1942 as part of the Western Defense Program, created to repel an expected Japanese attack on the West Coast that of course never materialized.

Fallon was subsequently commissioned in 1944, initially with two 5,200 foot runways. As the threat from Japan quickly ceased in 1945, the need for the base was reduced and by 1946 the base was reduced to caretaker status.

When the Korean War started the need for training again was paramount and the base was again opened up.

The Navy has used the Air Station primarily in the same role from its date of interception: as its primary base for combat support and training, normally referred to nowadays as adversary training. This role was further reinforced when the Navy’s famous Topgun school moved to NAS Fallon in the mid nineties, when NAS Miramar as handed over to the Marine Corps.

The base’s ranges cover a massive 10,200 square miles of airspace to the east of the airfield, and one of the runways is now 14,000 feet long.

Fallon is big enough to host an entire carrier wing for training and when we visited CWV-3 was partly in attendance.

Current flying residents include VFC-13 (the Flying Saints) with Northrop F-5E/F Tiger IIs, NSAWC (Naval Strike Air Warfare Center, incorporating the former Topgun) with F/A-18A/Bs and SH-60Fs, and the Longhorns SAR unit with UH-1Ns.

The most striking thing for me about this base was the variety of camouflages used on the F-5s and F/A-18s, which makes for some great photographic opportunities.

We were afforded excellent ramp access to the based adversary units and a great view from the tower.

There were also two ATAC IAI Kfir C2's parked on the remote southern ramp, but their one sortie for the day was scheduled after we were due to leave the base.

The Air Power Park hosts no less than 15 aircraft nicely spaced for photos, and the main gate is host to no less than four aircraft. An A-5 Vigilante is displayed along one of the main roads. There is also an S-3 Viking currently parked on the southern ramp that will either end up in the Air Power Park or be used on the ranges – let's hope it’s the former.

Thanks go to Zip Upham and Petty Officer Matt Snodgrass for their outstanding hospitality and patience on base.

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