Naval Air Station Key West

Naval Air Station Key West
Boca Chica Field
Near Key West, Florida in the United States
A US Navy F-5N Tiger II of VFC-111 takes off from its home at NAS Key West during November 2020
NAS Key West Location in the United States
Coordinates	24°34′33″N 081°41′20″W / 24.57583°N 81.68889°W / 24.57583; -81.68889
Type	Naval Air Station
Site information
Owner	Department of Defense
Operator	US Navy
Controlled by	Navy Region Southeast
Condition	Operational
Website	Official website
Site history
Built	1917 (1917)
In use	1917 – present
Garrison information
Current commander	Captain Elizabeth Regoli
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: NQX, ICAO: KNQX, FAA LID: NQX, WMO: 722015
Elevation	1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 08/26 3,048.3 metres (10,001 ft) Porous European Mix (PEM) 04/22 2,134.21 metres (7,002 ft) PEM 14/32 2,133.9 metres (7,001 ft) PEM
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Naval Air Station Key West (IATA: NQX^[2], ICAO: KNQX, FAA LID: NQX), is a naval air station and military airport located on Boca Chica Key, four miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Key West, Florida, United States.^[3]

NAS Key West is an air-to-air combat training facility for fighter aircraft of all military services, with favorable flying conditions year round and nearby aerial ranges. The station and its associated offshore air combat maneuvering ranges are equipped with the P5 Combat Training System/Tactical Combat Training System (P5CTS/TCTS)^[4] which tracks and records aerial maneuvers.

On a broader scale, NAS Key West's national security mission supports operational and readiness requirements for the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security (e.g., U.S. Coast Guard), Air National Guard and Army National Guard units, other federal agencies, and allied military forces.^[5]

The air station is also host to several tenant commands, including Fighter Squadron Composite 111 (VFC-111), Strike Fighter Squadron 106 (VFA-106) Detachment Key West, the U.S. Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School and Headquarters, Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF South).