The base is well known as hosting the most advanced American aircraft that enter Australia, and during the Middle Eastern crisis, Tindal provided services to the United States B-2 Spirit stealth bombers immediately prior to their attacks on the Houthis.

Its purpose was to provide a base for Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers that could strike at Japanese targets in Papua New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, but the turning tide of the war rendered this unnecessary and no aircraft were deployed there before the cessation of hostilities.

In 1946, the airfield was renamed in honour of Wing Commander Archibald (Archie) Tindal, the first RAAF member killed in action on the Australian mainland during World War II; he died while manning a machine gun against Japanese raiders bombing Darwin on 19 February 1942, and was buried at the Adelaide River war cemetery.

[3]: 135–137, 283  Following a survey, Tindal was selected in May 1963 as being close enough to RAAF Base Darwin to afford mutual protection, but far enough from the coast to be defensible and to avoid the effects of tropical cyclones.

[5] In 1984, the Australian government decided to move the RAAF's fast jet base in the Northern Territory from Darwin to Tindal to more effectively control the sea-air gap, in keeping with its strategic policy of defence in depth.

After a major upgrade, RAAF Tindal became operational on 1 October 1988, the first new manned base to be established since World War II.

[2][6] The opening was originally planned for July 1988 but was delayed due to difficulties finding a date suitable to both Hawke and the Minister for Defence, Kim Beazley.

Works will include extending its runway and increasing fuel storage so that US long-range bombers and Australian refuelling aircraft can use the base.

[citation needed] Modernisation work at Tindal is funded by the US government, and its scope was confirmed by Australian officials on 31 October 2022.

[12] Once completed, the air base will better accommodate bomber formations as well as tankers and fighters, with work also affecting fuel and ammunition storage and mission planning buildings.