Patrick Space Force Base
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Pre World War IIAuthorized by the Naval Expansion Act of 1938, Naval Air Station Banana River was commissioned on 1 Oct 1940 as a subordinate base of the Naval Air Operational Training Command at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida. The Navy bought 1,900 acres of marginal land south of Cocoa Beach. World War IIWith the advent of war with Japan and Germany in December 1941, the Navy began anti-submarine patrols along the Florida coast using PBY Catalina and PBM Mariner seaplanes based at this facility. PBMs returned to training duty in March 1942 when replaced on patrol by OS2U Kingfisher seaplanes. Landing strips were constructed in 1943. Various military-related activities took place at NAS Banana River, including maritime patrol aviation operations against German U-Boats, air search, and rescue operations, patrol bomber bombardier training, seaplane pilot training, and communications research. Other activities included a blimp squadron detachment, an Aviation Navigation Training School, and an experimental training unit termed Project Baker, a confidential program that developed and tested instrument landing equipment. NAS Banana River hosted a major aircraft repair and maintenance facility. At its peak, the base complement included 278 aircraft, 587 civilian employees, and over 2800 officers and enlisted personnel. Post World War IINAS Banana River closed in September 1947 after a gradual deactivation and was placed in a caretaker status. In September 1948 the facility was transferred to the U.S. Air Force. Several of NAS Banana River's original structures, including runway segments, certain hangars, support buildings, seaplane parking areas, and seaplane ramps into the Banana River remain part of modern-day Patrick Space Force Base. Patrick Air Force BaseNAS Banana River was transferred to the United States Air Force on 1 Sep 1948 and was first renamed the Joint Long Range Proving Ground on 10 Jun 1949. The installation was renamed Patrick Air Force Base in August 1950. From 1966 to 1975, the Space Coast was the second most visited spot by VIPs, after Washington, DC, a result of the Space Program. A protocol officer was assigned to Patrick to coordinate these visits, about 3 weekly consisting of 10 to 150 people. The 9/11 attacks prompted the Air Force to close the heavily used four-lane State Road A1A, which ran alongside the base and immediately in front of the AFTAC Headquarters building. A1A was later reopened to two-lane traffic with car inspections, followed by two-lane traffic without inspections until a barrier was constructed in front of the building and the building was reinforced with steel and concrete with the windows sealed. In February 2005, the Patrick AFB Officers Club was destroyed by an accidental fire. In 2010, the Air Force announced its intention to replace the existing AFTAC building in front of State Road A1A with a new facility that would cost between $100 to $200 million. At the time of this announcement, this constituted the largest single Air Force construction project in the United States. The project was completed in 2014. Patrick Air Force Base Radar SiteSee separate article on the Patrick Air Force Base Radar Site (1957-1996) See a separate article on the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (1949-Active). Located just north of Patrick Space Force Base and is supported by them. The Space Force Station supports and operates the three active launch pads, many inactive launch pads, and a 10,000' Skid Strip (airfield). The Air Force Space and Missile Museum is located at Launch Complex 26. Current StatusIn December 2020, Patrick Air Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station were renamed as the first installations of the U.S. Space Force. Patrick Space Force Base is home to Space Launch Delta 45 (SLD 45), now under the new United States Space Force, and serves as the world's premier gateway to space.
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Visited: 7 Sep 2021, 3 Feb 2010
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