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This list of European air bases by number of personnel should be taken with caution, as deployed personnel fluctuate over time, and many bases’ personnel count is not publicly disclosed. Additionally, how personnel are counted can be inconsistent. Due to the opaque nature of Russian reporting and wartime uncertainties, Russian air bases are excluded, as are Ukrainian air bases. Turkey is also excluded due to the wide range of estimates.
The United States Air Force is roughly 8–12 times larger than individual major European air forces, like the RAF and German Air Force. This can increase when reserve and other personnel are added in. While most of the USAF personnel are typically stationed in the United States, around 35,000 or so personnel are based in Europe.
This is enough to rival the largest European air forces, like the French Air Force, for the status of the largest non-Russian air force in Europe by personnel count. This article will list the most populous air force base by major European country, which is why RAF Brize Norton is listed with RAF Lakenheath.
5
Aviano Air Base, Italy
Up to around 4,500 active duty personnel
Italy’s Aviano Air Base hosts around 8,000 to 10,000 personnel in total, including the US and Italian military and their families, as well as contractors. Its host is the 31st Fighter Wing, and it serves a key role in nuclear deterrence with deployed B61 bombs. The number of active duty personnel at the airbase may be closer to 3,500 to 4,500, although this can fluctuate. Overall, the US has an active duty presence in Italy of around 12,000 personnel.
Another major base in Italy is the US Navy’s NAS Sigonella with around 7,000 personnel. This number includes US active duty personnel, other NATO and Italian active duty personnel, and their families. One of the largest Italian Air Force bases is Pratica di Mare Air Base. It is difficult to estimate how many personnel are based there, as these numbers are not publicly disclosed. The Italian Air Force has a personnel strength of around 30,000 to 40,000, with a total military strength of around 165,000 active personnel across its armed forces.
Other Italian air bases that may approach or somewhat exceed 2,000 include Ghedi Air Base, Grosseto Air Base, Gioia del Colle Air Base, and Pisa-San Giusto Air Base. Greece has an exceptionally large air force for its size due to rivalry with neighboring Turkey. Its largest base is Souda Bay Air Base on the island of Crete, and it likely has a population of around 2,000 to over 3,000.
4
Istres-Le Tubé Air Base, France
Up to 5,000 personnel
Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (BA 125, France) is generally considered the largest French Air and Space Force base by personnel. It is a hub for France’s nuclear deterrence and handles Rafale operations, strategic refueling, transport, flight testing, and more. Unlike other European countries, France does not host a large US permanent presence in its country. This is partly due to former French President Charles de Gaulle’s decision to withdraw from NATO’s integrated military structure to assert national sovereignty and independence in foreign policy.
France rejoined in 2009, but it maintains its policy against hosting permanent foreign military bases on its territory. Istres-Le Tubé Air Base is estimated to have around 5,000 total personnel, including military and civilians. With that being said, numbers should be treated with caution, as France does not provide detailed personnel breakdowns. Other important French bases include BA 113 Saint-Dizier-Robinson (around 2,500 personnel) and BA 118 Mont-de-Marsan (up to 2,500 personnel).
Elsewhere in Europe, leading German Air Force bases include Fliegerhorst Laage, Neuburg Air Base, and Wittmundhafen Air Base, although populations don’t rise much above 2,000 total at any base. The Germans tend to value dispersion over large single-site populations. The largest Spanish air bases include Zaragoza Air Base, Torrejón Air Base, and Morón Air Base, but the Spanish presence at these bases doesn’t rise much above 3,000 personnel in total. Still, US personnel at Morón Air Base can boost its population to over 3,000.
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3
RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
Around 7,000 personnel
The USAF’s RAF Lakenheath in England is the largest air force base by personnel in the UK. It has around 7,000 personnel and a total supported community of around 18,000 dependents. The active-duty count is mostly US crew, but also includes British civilians. It is home to F-35 and F-15 squadrons. The two US F-35 squadrons currently have more F-35s than the RAF possesses in total: at full strength, they have 48 F-35s. The UK has only purchased 48 F-35s, with around 44 delivered and one lost after falling off an aircraft carrier.
The largest RAF air force base in the United Kingdom, currently staffed by the RAF, is RAF Brize Norton with a service personnel of around 5,800. Civilian staff and contractors add around 1,500 more personnel, although it is unclear how many are in the base area when the dependents are added in, as these numbers are not disclosed. These numbers come directly from the RAF, which states that “RAF Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, is the largest RAF Station with approximately 5,800 Service Personnel, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors.”
Another large air base in the UK is RAF Mildenhall with around 4,300 active duty personnel, mostly US Airmen. Including dependents, civilians, and contractors, the count grows to around 14,000 personnel. RAF Lossiemouth is the largest RAF base in Scotland and is home to around 2,310 active duty personnel with a civilian and contractor staff, including the total on-base count of around 4,100.
The RAF is smaller than other leading European air forces by personnel size, with an active strength of around 27,710 personnel in April 2025. According to the British Government, the total British active military personnel is 126,610, with 28,040 in the Royal Navy and 70,860 in the British Army.
2
Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania
Around 3,500 personnel – 10,000 personnel are eventually planned
Romania’s Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base is being dramatically up-scaled thanks to efforts to deploy more NATO forces east in the face of a bellicose Russia. In 2024, the BBC reported that it is “turning into the biggest NATO base in Europe, bigger even than Ramstein in Germany.” The base is now home to Romanian F-16s, which it received from Norway, as well as an RAF presence and a growing US presence. At the time, the BBC reported that the base supported 1,840 US personnel.
It is planned to support up to 10,000 personnel once expansion is completed. and is being expanded to a permanent ‘military city’ with families and NATO rotational forces. The base is being expanded with a new runway, new hangars, and more. Its role is to support Black Sea surveillance, air policing, and eastern flank deterrence. It has also been reported that this number could be doubled to 20,000 soldiers, of which half would be stationed permanently and half on temporary deployments.
However, in March 2026, The Straits Times reported that around 1,000 US troops were withdrawn from Mihail Kogălniceanu air base in 2025, although there were still around 1,000 US troops in Romania. It added that the permanent allied presence in Romania now stands at around 3,500 NATO troops, including US soldiers, although it’s unclear how many of these are at Mihail Kogălniceanu. It is also unclear how many of these troops are from air forces and how many are from the army or other service branches.
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1
Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany
Around 9,000 personnel
By various estimates, the US’s Ramstein Air Force base in Germany is the largest air force base in Europe by the number of personnel. Its host wing is the 86th Airlift Wing and is the primary logistics and airlift hub for the US’s Europe/Africa operations. It is at the heart of Ukraine’s aid coordination and is one of the most important pieces of infrastructure in the NATO alliance. The US Air Force states that:
“Ramstein AB supports the largest population of Americans outside of the US, around 56,000 personnel, across the Kaiserslautern Military Community. The 86 AW provides base operating support to roughly 100 tenant units.“
It also says that “there are more than 9,000 military members and Department of Defense civilians within the 86th Airlift Wing, bringing with them more than 12,000 family members.” The Air Force adds that “in total, the KMC is comprised of 13,000 military members, 9,000 Department of Defense civilians, and their more than 25,000 family members. The KMC also employs more than 6,000 host nationals.”
With around 16,000 active duty US personnel and contractors, this makes it equal to around half of the total active duty personnel in Europe’s largest air forces. The population of Ramstein could surge in the event of the US redeploying to Europe. It may also be significantly affected by its major deployments to the Middle East. While the USAF is far larger than any one European air force, if the 30 European NATO air forces are taken together, they have a total active duty strength of 350,000 to 450,000 personnel (including Turkey).
