RAAF Base Butterworth

RMAF Butterworth TUDM Butterworth
IATA: BWH ICAO: WMKB
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Ministry of Defence (Malaysia)
Operator	Royal Malaysian Air Force
Location	Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia
Time zone	MST (UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL	8 ft / 2 m
Coordinates	05°27′58″N 100°23′28″E / 5.46611°N 100.39111°E / 5.46611; 100.39111Coordinates: 05°27′58″N 100°23′28″E / 5.46611°N 100.39111°E / 5.46611; 100.39111
Map
WMKB Location in West Malaysia
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 18/36 2,438 7,999 Asphalt
Sources: AIP Malaysia

RMAF Butterworth (Malay: TUDM Butterworth, formerly RAF Butterworth and RAAF Butterworth) (IATA: BWH, ICAO: WMKB) is an Air Force Station of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) situated 4.5 nautical miles (8.3 km; 5.2 mi) from Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia. It is currently the headquarters of the Five Power Defence Arrangements Integrated Area Defence System for Malaysia and Singapore, which is commanded by an Australian Air Vice Marshal.

RAF Butterworth was officially opened in October 1941, as a Royal Air Force station which was a part of the British defence plan for defending the Malayan Peninsula against an imminent threat of invasion by the Imperial Japanese forces during World War II. During the Battle of Malaya, the airfield suffered damage from aerial bombing by Mitsubishi G3M and Mitsubishi G4M bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service based in Saigon, South Vietnam. Brewster Buffalos from the airbase rose to challenge the escorting Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters but were mauled during several of these engagements by the highly trained and experienced Japanese fighter pilots.