15.0 Air Bases

Air Base units are the ground support establishments (fuel tanks, runways, and hangers) for air units. Each air base has a Level representing its size, and in some games a small triangle to allow a player to displace the counter from its actual hex in congested areas.

Air bases are non-combat units, so it takes an Attack-Capable enemy unit to enter these hexes. See 9.14f for air base capture.

15.0a No more than one air base can ever exist in a single hex.

15.0b Air Base Level effects:

• A) Each Level allows the refit of two aircraft per Aircraft Refit Phase. For instance, a Level-3 Air Base can refit up to six air units.
• B) Air bases have Flak Points equal to their Level.
• C) Only 2T times the Level can be unloaded per Movement Segment (unlimited if the Transports in excess of this amount go Inactive at the base, or if it is an Air Drop or glider operation).There is no limit on loading.
• D) The stacking limit of Active air units in an air base hex is 4 + the Level. (There is no limit on Inac- tive aircraft.)

15.0c When attacked on the Barrage vs. Facility Table, an air bases may take hits which reduce their Level. However, no air base can be reduced below Level 1 (even in games using Air Strips).

15.0d Air Bases never need trace supply and never suffer attrition.

15.1 Refitting Aircraft

• A) An air base can refit once during the Aircraft Refit Phase.
• B) Refit costs 1T at each base (regard- less of Air Base Level or number of aircraft involved). An air base can refit up to double its Level in aircraft. The player chooses which Inactive aircraft to refit. Every air unit counts as one for refit, even when at reduced strength.
• C) An air base cannot refit aircraft in an un-negated enemy ZOC.
• D) Weather conditions never prohibit refit, and never prevent aircraft from being Active. (This series rule intentionally modifies the weather rules in some older games!)

15.2 Air Strips

Air Strips are very small air bases that can be built/used only if specifically allowed in a game’s rules. Air Strips have some special characteristics:

• A) They are built for 1T, following the procedure in 15.3. An air strip can be upgraded to a Level-1 Air Base by paying 3T.
• B) They can only refit one aircraft per Aircraft Refit Phase.
• C) They have a unloading capacity of 2T per Movement Segment.
• D) They have a stacking limit of 4 Active air units.
• E) They are never reduced by damage or voluntary reduction.
• F) They do not add any Flak.

15.3 Building Air Bases

Air bases can be built/improved only during the Movement Phase, and only by Engineer-Capable units performing Construction (13.8d). The cost is 1 SP.

• An Air Base’s Level can increase by only one per turn (such as from none to Level-1, or from Level-1 to Level-2). It thus takes three turns and 3 SP to build a Level-3 Air Base.
• Air bases can never be improved above Level-3.

15.4 Reduction of Air Bases

Air bases can be reduced only during the Movement Phase. One RE of units, that are in Combat Mode and do not move, can reduce an air base by one Level. An Engineer-Capable unit can also do the work (13.8d). There is no SP cost.

• A given friendly air base can only be reduced once per phase.
• An air base can never be reduced below Level-1.
• Note that a Facility Table Barrage can also reduce air bases (see 10.0c).