Beale Air Force Base, located just east of Marysville in eastern Yuba County, is home for the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, the T-38 jet trainer, the KC-135 tanker, and, most recently the Global Hawk. Visitors enter the base through a main gate that local merchants, individual and the Beale Military Liaison Committee donated $100,000 to construct. Visit the base website or see the combat support and communty page. Beale covers nearly 23,000 acres, is home for approximately 4,000 military personnel, and enjoys the strong support and appreciation of the community.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hanne
Photo download from Beale AFB web gallery

Operation Iraqi Freedom - Air Force members deployed from the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, California, refuel a U-2 Dragon Lady after returning from a mission. The U-2 is a high altitude-multi intelligence reconnaissance aircraft. It can fly above 70,000 feet and provides near-real-time imagery and signals intelligence to war fighters and national authorities in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom at a forward deployed location in Southwest Asia.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy Jenkins
Photo download from Beale AFB web gallery

The Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle provides Air Force and joint battlefield commanders near rel-time, high-resolution intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance imagery. The 12th Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale is the home unit for the Global Hawk mission. The Yuba-Sutter area mounted a regional effort to help secure the mission, of which the Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce was proud to be a part.

Economic Impact Analysis, Fiscal Year 2006, Public Affairs, Beale Air Force Base

California Innovation Center

Mission: To bring academic, government, military and industry leaders together as partners for the purpose of innovative research, development, and referral of technologies necessary for the expansion of emerging technology in government, military and private business applications.

The California Innovation Center came into being as a result of high interest at both the state and local levels in the location of a Cyber Command mission at Beale Air Force Base. In January of 2008, "Air Force officials tasked the center to help resolve air access issues facing its Global Hawk program, as well as improving technology for autonomous vehicles." For more information, contact Brynda Stranix, 530-751-8555.