Kagi Airfield (Chiayi Air Base)

Kagi Airfield (嘉義飛行場) was established in 1936 during the Japanese colonial period in southern Taiwan (Formosa), located near the city of Kagi (now Chiayi). It was developed by the Imperial Japanese Army: the 14th Air Regiment (飛行第十四聯隊) was formed here in December 1936 under the 3rd Air Brigade, alongside the 8th Air Regiment at Pingtung, and in 1944 the 3rd Air Training Unit moved in from Taipei. The airfield was a key component of Japan's air power in Taiwan.

The airfield's wartime significance intensified as Allied forces advanced across the Pacific. Beginning in early 1944, U.S. forces conducted reconnaissance and attack missions against the base:

• March 6, 1944: U.S. Army Air Force reconnaissance aircraft photographed the airfield, marking the beginning of systematic intelligence gathering.
• October 12, 1944: During the Formosa Air Battle (台灣沖航空戰), aircraft from USS Langley (CVL-27) of Task Force 38 struck the airfield. The three-day battle (October 12-14) saw massive carrier-based air attacks across Taiwan.
• January 14, 1945: 54 B-29 Superfortress bombers of the U.S. 20th Air Force, flying from forward bases in Chengdu, China, conducted a strategic bombing raid on the airfield — one of the few B-29 missions against Taiwan.
• February 13, 1945: B-25 Mitchell medium bombers with fighter escort attacked the airfield in multiple waves.
• March 2, 1945: A combined force of B-24 Liberators, B-25 Mitchells, A-20 Havocs, and fighter-bombers struck the facility.
• April 3, 1945: 16 B-25 bombers of the USAAF 3rd Bombardment Group and B-24 bombers of the 90th Bombardment Group attacked the airfield and surrounding infrastructure using fragmentation bombs.
• August 12, 1945: In one of the final raids of the war, B-24 Liberator bombers attacked the airfield just three days before Japan's surrender.

Nearby industrial targets were also struck: on April 8, 1945, the 3rd Bombardment Group bombed the Taiwan Development Chemical Industry Company's butanol plant in Kagi.

After Japan's surrender in August 1945, the Republic of China Air Force took control of the airfield. During the Cold War era, the U.S. 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron was stationed at Chiayi from January to October 1955 under the U.S.-ROC Mutual Defense Treaty. Civilian airline operations commenced on January 1, 1978, with the airfield becoming a joint military-civilian facility.

Today, Chiayi Air Base (空軍嘉義基地) is home to the ROCAF 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, comprising the 4th Fighter Group with the 14th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Tactical Fighter Squadrons. The base was upgraded to operate F-16A/B Block 20 fighters beginning in the late 1990s, and has since transitioned to the advanced F-16V (Viper) configuration. The runway measures approximately 10,006 feet, making it one of Taiwan's longest military runways.