Battle of Rio Hato Airfield

Battle of Rio Hato Airfield
	Part of the United States invasion of Panama
	Rio Hato Battle of Rio Hato Airfield (Panama)
Date	20 December 1989
Location	Rio Hato, Panama
Result	American victory
Belligerents
United States	Panama
Commanders and leaders
Col. William F. Kernan	Maj. Gonzalo Gonzalez
Units involved
75th Ranger Regiment 2nd Ranger Battalion; 3rd Ranger Battalion Company A; Company B; ;	Panama Defense Forces 6th Mechanized Expeditionary Infantry Company; 7th Macho de Monte Infantry Company;
Strength
837 Rangers; 13 C-130 transport planes; 2 AC-130H gunships; 2 F-117A airplanes; 2 AH-64 helicopters; 2 MH-6 helicopters	520 soldiers; 19 armoured vehicles; 11 ZPU AA guns
Casualties and losses
4 killed; 44 wounded	34 killed; 362 captured; 200+ escaped
	43 civilians detained

The Battle of Rio Hato Airfield took place as an opening action of the United States invasion of Panama, and was fought between the U.S military and the Panama Defense Forces (PDF) on 20 December 1989. The action saw US paratroopers launch a surprise attack against the PDF at Rio Hato, the largest PDF military base in the country, approximately seventy miles south of Panama City.

The objective of the attack was to capture the PDF garrison at the base, secure the Rio Hato airfield runway, and seize dictator Manuel Noriega's beachside house.