Châteauroux-Déols Air Base

Châteauroux-Déols Air Base
Part of United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)
Located near: Châteauroux, Indre, France
Châteauroux-Déols Air Depot (CHAD)
Châteauroux AB Location of Châteauroux-Déols Air Base, France
Coordinates	46°51′44″N 1°43′50″E / 46.86222°N 1.73056°E / 46.86222; 1.73056 (Chaumont-Semoutiers AB)Coordinates: 46°51′44″N 1°43′50″E / 46.86222°N 1.73056°E / 46.86222; 1.73056 (Chaumont-Semoutiers AB)
Site history
Built	1920s
In use	1951-1967

Châteauroux-Déols Air Base (IATA: CHR, ICAO: LFLX) is a former United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Indre département of France, located about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Châteauroux and about 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of Déols on the east side of the Départemental 920 (D920) (Indre) road in Central France.

During the Cold War, Châteauroux-Déols was a front-line base for the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). The USAF base at Châteauroux-Déols actually consisted of two separate facilities about five miles apart, Châteauroux-Déols Air Depot (CHAD) and La Martinerie Airdrome. The base was home to some 8,000 Americans between 1951 and 1967.

The site is currently home to the Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport.

The airport at Châteauroux started in the late 1920s as a civil transport airfield, providing regional air service within France. In 1935/36 Marcel Dassault built his first aircraft factory there, building Bloch bombers for the French Air Force. After the fall of France, the factory was used by the Luftwaffe for the production of sub-assemblies for various German aircraft.

What would become Châteauroux Air Base was bombed several times by the United States Army Air Forces and the Royal Air Force during World War II. After the war ended, the factory attempted to restart production for the French Air Force, but by 1950 it was closed.