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Remote U.S. military airfield at the western tip of the Aleutians.
Opened
1943
Location
Shemya Island, United States
Eareckson Air Station is a United States Air Force installation located on Shemya Island, a small island near the western end of the Aleutian Island chain in Alaska. The station sits approximately 1,500 miles southwest of Anchorage, close to the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula, giving it significant strategic importance during and after the Cold War.
The airfield was heavily used during World War II as a base for operations against Japanese-held Kiska and Attu islands and later served as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. Today it functions primarily as a radar and surveillance installation under Air Force Space Command, with limited civilian or commercial activity.
The station is named after General William O. Eareckson, an Army Air Forces officer who played a prominent role in Aleutian Campaign operations during World War II. Access to the island is restricted, and there is no regular commercial air service to the public.
Notable facts
- ›Located on Shemya Island, one of the Near Islands at the far western end of the Aleutian chain.
- ›Named after WWII General William O. Eareckson, a key figure in the Aleutian Campaign.
- ›Hosts the Cobra Dane radar system, a large phased-array radar used for missile and space tracking.
- ›The island experiences some of the most severe weather in the North Pacific, with frequent fog, high winds, and storms.
- ›Previously served as a trans-Pacific refueling stop due to its position along great-circle routes between North America and Asia.
This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.
