Inside the Secret Codes of Military Airfields

Military Base Codes: Decoding Air Force, Navy, and Army Airfield Identifiers

Military airfields operate alongside civilian aviation but use identification systems with distinct characteristics. Understanding how military base codes work reveals patterns invisible to casual observers and explains why some familiar bases have unfamiliar identifiers.

The Dual-Code Reality

Most military airfields in the United States maintain both ICAO and FAA identifiers, and these don’t always match intuitively:

ICAO codes: Four letters starting with K for continental US military bases (KLSV for Nellis AFB, KEDW for Edwards AFB). These codes appear in international flight plans and air traffic control communications.

FAA identifiers: Three or four characters that may differ from ICAO codes. These appear on domestic aviation charts and in FAA databases.

Adding complexity, some bases have changed names while retaining old codes, and joint-use facilities may have multiple identifiers for different runways or functions.

Air Force Base Identifiers

Air Force bases follow ICAO conventions with some patterns:

Named after the base location: KLUF (Luke AFB, Arizona), KGSB (Seymour Johnson AFB—GSB from Goldsboro), KDYS (Dyess AFB, Texas)

Named after the base itself: KNTU (NAS Oceana—NTU from Neptune), KLFI (Langley AFB—LFI from Langley Field)

Historical holdovers: KEDW (Edwards AFB) derives from the base’s designation, not the current name honoring test pilot Glen Edwards.

Major Air Force bases familiar to aviation enthusiasts:

• KNEL – Nellis AFB, Nevada (home of Red Flag exercises)
• KEDW – Edwards AFB, California (flight test center)
• KTIK – Tinker AFB, Oklahoma (major logistics hub)
• KNKX – Miramar (now MCAS, former Top Gun location)
• KOFF – Offutt AFB, Nebraska (Strategic Command headquarters)

Navy and Marine Corps Identifiers

Naval air stations (NAS) and Marine Corps air stations (MCAS) use similar conventions with some naval-specific patterns:

NAS prefix tendency: Many naval stations begin with N in their identifier—KNZY (NAS North Island), KNTU (NAS Oceana), though this isn’t universal.

Carrier-capable bases: Airfields supporting carrier aviation often have longer runways and different traffic patterns, reflected in approach procedures but not necessarily in the identifier.

Key naval aviation identifiers:

• KNGP – NAS Corpus Christi (pilot training)
• KNPA – NAS Pensacola (the “Cradle of Naval Aviation”)
• KNJK – NAS El Centro (winter training, Blue Angels practice)
• KNZY – NAS North Island, Coronado
• KNID – China Lake (weapons testing)

Army Airfield Identifiers

Army airfields tend toward simpler naming conventions, often using the installation name directly:

• KFAF – Felker Army Airfield, Fort Eustis
• KHOP – Campbell Army Airfield, Fort Campbell
• KHLR – Hood Army Airfield, Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos)
• KFBG – Simmons Army Airfield, Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty)

Army aviation focuses more on helicopters than fixed-wing aircraft, so many Army installations have heliports rather than full airfields. These smaller facilities may have identifiers not appearing on standard charts.

Joint Base Complications

Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) created joint bases combining Army, Navy, and Air Force installations. These consolidations sometimes resulted in identifier changes or multiple identifiers for the same geographic area:

Joint Base Andrews: Combines former Andrews AFB with Naval Air Facility Washington. KADW remains the primary identifier.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord: Merged Fort Lewis (Army) and McChord AFB. KTCM (Tacoma/McChord) identifies the airfield component.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam: The famous WWII targets now operate as one installation using PHIK for the airfield.

Overseas Military Identifiers

US military bases abroad follow host nation ICAO region prefixes:

Germany: Ramstein AB (ETAR), Spangdahlem AB (ETAD). The ET prefix indicates Germany under ICAO’s European region.

Japan: Kadena AB (RODN), Yokota AB (RJTY), Misawa AB (RJSM). RJ and RO indicate Japanese territory.

United Kingdom: RAF Lakenheath (EGUL), RAF Mildenhall (EGUN). These bases host USAF units but use British identifiers.

South Korea: Osan AB (RKSO), Kunsan AB (RKJK). RK prefix indicates South Korea.

Special Use Airspace Identifiers

Military operations create restricted airspace that pilots must navigate around. While not airfield identifiers, these designations appear on charts near military bases:

R- (Restricted): Flight prohibited without permission (R-2508 covers Edwards AFB test ranges)

MOA (Military Operations Area): Military training that civilian aircraft may transit with caution

MTR (Military Training Routes): Low-altitude high-speed corridors for tactical training

Finding Military Airfield Information

Civilian pilots need military airfield data when filing flight plans or navigating nearby:

AirNav.com: Includes military fields with frequencies, runways, and contact information

FAA Chart Supplements: Official source for airfield data including military installations

ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot: Include military airfield data in their databases

Base operations numbers: For legitimate aviation needs, base operations can be contacted for PPR (Prior Permission Required) and current information

Security Considerations

Military airfields have restricted airspace and security requirements that civilian airports don’t:

TFRs: Temporary Flight Restrictions frequently activate around military bases during exercises or heightened security

ADIZ: Air Defense Identification Zones require flight plans and communication procedures

Prohibited overflights: Some facilities prohibit overflight regardless of altitude—violating these restrictions triggers serious consequences

Understanding military identifiers helps civilian pilots navigate shared airspace safely and communicate correctly with approach controls that sequence both military and civilian traffic. The codes may seem arcane, but they’re part of the integrated national airspace system that makes safe flight possible.