Emmen Air Base (Militärflugplatz Emmen, ICAO: LSME, IATA: EML) is a strategic military airfield of the Swiss Air Force, located just north of the town of Emmen in the canton of Lucerne, northwest of the city of Lucerne. The base is owned and operated by the Swiss Air Force.
The airfield sits at an elevation of 426 m (1,401 ft). It has a single asphalt runway, designated 04/22, measuring 2,502 m × 40 m in size.
Emmen is used primarily for military purposes. It serves as a training and alternate base for Swiss Air Force jet and propeller aircraft, and is also employed for operations involving the ADS‑95 / ADS‑15 reconnaissance UAV used by RUAG / armasuisse. Although no permanent jet squadrons are stationed there, the airfield is frequently used for pilot training, air police exercises, and maneuver work.
One of the major tenants is the Patrouille Suisse, the Swiss Air Force’s aerobatics team, which is based at Emmen. It is also home to the Air Force Pilot School (using Pilatus PC-21 and PC-7 trainers), as well as a drone command center. In addition, Emmen supports test and trial flights for armasuisse and RUAG, including decisions involving unreliably used aircraft.
The base is equipped with retractable arresting gear at both ends of the runway, which is intended to support aircraft like the F/A‑18 Hornet and F‑5 Tiger in case of an aborted takeoff or other issues. For air traffic control, Emmen is served by Skyguide (the Swiss national ATC provider).
While its role is primarily military, limited civilian use is permitted: RUAG Aviation is allowed up to 1,000 civil flight movements per year for test flights and special transport. The base also hosts a few Armasuisse aircraft including a Pilatus PC-12, PC-6, and a Diamond DA42.
In 2023, Emmen Air Base recorded over 20,000 flight movements, of which about 3,470 were jet operations, further underlining its continuing importance as a training and tactical airfield.