Al Udeid Air Base
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2009) |
Al-Udeid Air Base | |||||||||
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قاعدة العديد الجوية | |||||||||
Near Doha, Al Rayyan in Qatar | |||||||||
Coordinates | 25°07′07″N 051°19′07″E / 25.11861°N 51.31861°E | ||||||||
Type | Qatar Emiri Air Force base | ||||||||
Site information | |||||||||
Owner | Qatar Armed Forces | ||||||||
Operator | Qatar Emiri Air Force United States Air Force Royal Air Force | ||||||||
Condition | Operational | ||||||||
Site history | |||||||||
Built | 1996 | ||||||||
In use | 1996 – present | ||||||||
Garrison information | |||||||||
Garrison |
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Airfield information | |||||||||
Identifiers | AMSL | ||||||||
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Source: World Aero Data[1][2] and Google Maps[3] |
Al Udeid Air Base (
, also known as Abu Nakhlah Airport (مطار أبو نخلة).It houses the
In 1999, the then
It is the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East.[6]
History
United States Air Force
Following joint military operations during
The official acknowledgement of the base came in March 2002, when Vice President Dick Cheney stopped there during a trip to the region with a group of reporters. In April 2003, shortly after the start of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the U.S. Combat Air Operations Center for the Middle East moved from Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia to what was then a backup headquarters built a year prior in Qatar that was viewed as a more congenial location for basing U.S. troops.[8]
Al Udeid and other facilities in Qatar serve as logistics, command, and basing hubs for the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations, and oversees U.S. air operations in countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.[9]
Royal Air Force
Between 2004 and 2009 the airbase was used by the
These included 6 to 8
The RAF aircraft were accompanied by nearly 400 personnel, of which approximately 130 were aircraft engineers while the remaining 270 were active in support and operation management roles. Squadron personnel were on a two-month rotation at RAF Al Udeid with the remainder of the force on a four-month rotation. Support personnel were on varying rotations but not as often generally as the squadron personnel. The RAF operated from what was known as the "Southern QRA" buildings. Aircraft were housed in canvas shelters to protect them and the personnel working on them from the heat of the sun. RAF Al Udeid was used as a
Royal Australian Air Force
As part of
Following Australia's formal withdraw of forces from Iraq and to upon Afghanistan in 2008, the air bridge for operations in the Middle East was re-located to Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
Current use
Qatari Emiri Air Force
Al Udeid Air Base is the main headquarters for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, although some of its squadrons are based at Doha International Airport among others.[11]
Structure:[12]
- Al Zaeem Mohamed Bin Abdullah Al Attiyah Air College
- 6th Squadron with the Airbus Helicopters H125 and the AgustaWestland AW169
- 31 Squadron with the PAC MFI-395 Super Mushshak and the Pilatus PC-21
- ?? Squadron with the Pilatus PC-24
- Airlift Group
- 10th Transport Squadron with the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III
- 12th Transport Squadron with the Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules
- Flying Wing 3
- 20th Squadron with the AgustaWestland AW139
- 41 Squadron with the Boeing AH-64E Apache (QRA)
- International Flight Training School (IFTS)
- ?? Squadron with the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master
- Flying Wing 5
- 51 Squadron with the Boeing F-15QA Strike Eagle
- 52 Squadron with the F-15QA
- 53 Squadron with the F-15QA
Royal Air Force
After the withdrawal of British Tornados and VC10s in Summer 2009 to other locations, Royal Air Force activities at Al Udeid were reduced.[10]
Since 2014 it has been used as HQ for British involvement in airstrikes against
The Royal Air Force formally stationed an
United States Air Force
Military cooperation and foreign assistance
With its small territory and narrow population base, Qatar relies to a large degree on external cooperation and support for its security. Qatar invested over
The Al Udeid Air Base now serves as a logistics, command, and basing hub for U.S. operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Nearby Camp As Sayliyah houses significant U.S. military equipment pre-positioning and command and control facilities for the CENTCOM's area of operations. Both Qatar and the United States have invested in the construction and expansion of these facilities since the mid-1990s, and they form the main hub of the CENTCOM air and ground logistical network in the area of responsibility. As a result of ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. and partner nation facilities in Qatar and elsewhere have received higher use in recent years.
In early June 2017, the Pentagon said that the diplomatic
The air base played an important role during the
The base stationed
Units
- United States Marine Corps (USMC) Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare 3 (VMAQ-3) 'Moondogs' from 17 February 2014, with Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowlers[19] until 9 August 2014.[20]
Congress appropriations and authorizations
From FY2003 to FY2007, Congress
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (P.L. 110-181) authorized $81.7 million in FY2008 spending to build new Air Force and Special Operations facilities in Qatar.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (P.L. 110-417) authorized $69.6 million in FY2009 spending to build new Air Force and Special Operations facilities.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (P.L. 111-84) authorized $117 million in FY2010 spending to build new Air Force recreational, dormitory, and other facilities at Al Udeid.
The Administration's FY2011 military construction request for Qatar was $64.3 million, for Air Force facilities and a National Security Agency warehouse.
The FY2012 request included $37 million to continue the dormitory and recreation facility project.
References
- ^ Airport information for OTBH[usurped] from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
- ^ Airport information for IUD at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- ^ "Google Maps – Al Udeid Air Base". Google Maps. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ "Embassy of Qatar – H.H. The Emir". Archived from the original on 29 January 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ US 'mystified' over Gulf states' position towards Qatar
- ^ "U.S. Bases in the Middle East".
- ^ Zeynalov, Mahir (25 December 2017). "Defending Allies: Here is how much US Gains from Policing World". The Globe Post. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
- ^ Aftereffects Bases; U.S. Will Move Air Operations To Qatar Base NYT, 28 April 2003.
- ^ Inside the Air War Over Syria: A High Altitude ‘Poker Game’ NYT, 23 May 2017.
- ^ a b "19 Years Over Iraq". The Official RAF Annual Review 2010. Stamford: Key Publishing: 12. December 2010.
- ISBN 978-0275992507.
- ^ "Qatar Emiri Air Force - Al Udaid (OTBH) Al-Udeid AB". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
- ^ "UK and Qatar sign pact to combat jihadis and cyber warfare". ft.com. 2 November 2014. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
It is also headquarters to the UK's campaign against Isis, Operation Shader.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "RAF prepares jets to strike Isis targets in Iraq". The Guardian. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
An RAF Rivet Joint surveillance plane equipped with listening devices has also been flying missions from al-Udeid air base in Qatar to eavesdrop on Isis communications.
- ^ Pentagon continues operations at key Mideast air base despite Qatar’s rift with Arab neighbors The Washington Post, 5 June 2017.
- ^ "F-22s Deploy to Qatar for the First Time Amid Iran Tensions". Military.com. 28 June 2019.
- National Archives.
- ^ "As Trump tries to end 'endless wars,' America's biggest Mideast base is getting bigger". The Washington Post. 21 August 2019.
- . April 2014. p. 17.
- . October 2013. p. 33.
External links
Media related to Al Udeid Air Base at Wikimedia Commons
- "Qatar: Background and U.S. Relations" (PDF). Congressional Research Service.
- "National Defense Authorization Act of 2009" (PDF). U.S. Federal Government.
- "Public Law 110-417. 110th Congress" (PDF). U.S. Federal Government. Archived from the original(PDF) on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- "CNN Special Report: Al Udeid Air Base". CNN.
- "Usage of Al Udeid Air Base". GlobalSecurity.org.
- "RAAF over Iraq". Australian War Memorial.