Summary
Al Dhafra Air Base (Arabic: قاعدة الظفرة الجوية) (IATA: DHF, ICAO: OMAM) is a military installation in the United Arab Emirates. The base is located approximately 20 mi (32 km) south of Abu Dhabi, and is operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Force.
| Al Dhafra Air Base | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
قاعدة الظفرة الجوية | |||||||||
| Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates | |||||||||
 A United Arab Emirates Air Force F-16E Desert Falcon of the type based at Al Dhafra AB | |||||||||
 Emblem of the United Arab Emirates Air Force | |||||||||
  Al Dhafra AB Location in the United Arab Emirates | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 24°14′24″N 054°32′54″E / 24.24000°N 54.54833°E | ||||||||
| Type | UAE Air Force base | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | United Arab Emirates Armed Forces | ||||||||
| Operator | United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) | ||||||||
| Controlled by | Western Air Command | ||||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1983 | ||||||||
| In use | 1983 – present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Garrison |
| ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: DHF, ICAO: OMAM | ||||||||
| Elevation | 23 metres (75 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Sources: World Aero Data[1] | |||||||||
Facilities edit
The airport sits at an elevation of 77 ft (23 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways, 13L/31R and 13R/31L, each with an asphalt surface measuring 3,661 m × 46 m (12,011 ft × 151 ft).[1]
Role and operations edit
United Arab Emirates Air Force edit
The air base is the headquarters of the Western Air Command of the United Arab Emirates Air Force. It hosts the UAE Air Force Fighter Wing, comprising the 1st Shaheen Squadron, 2nd Shaheen Squadron, and 3rd Shaheen Squadron which is equipped with the Lockheed Martin F-16E/F Desert Falcon). The base is also home to the 71st and 76th Fighter Squadrons which operate the Dassault Mirage 2000-9EAD/DAD.
Military intervention against ISIL edit
United States edit
Al Dhafra hosts the United States Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (380 AEW), established at the base on 25 January 2002.[2] The 380 AEW's mission is to carry out combat operations to provide high-altitude all-weather intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, airborne command and control and aerial refueling for military operations against ISIL/ISIS (referred to by the US military as Operation Inherent Resolve) and previously, NATO-led operations in Afghanistan (Operation Resolute Support).[2] The wing is known to have operated the F-15C Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-22A Raptor, KC-10A Extender, E-3 Sentry (AWACS) U-2S Dragon Lady and EQ-4 and RQ-4 Global Hawk.[3][4][2] The first USAF F-35 Lightning II deployed to the Middle East was deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base in April 2019.[5]
While the US military presence at the base dates back to the early 1990s, it was only officially acknowledged by the US Air Force in August 2017.[6]
As of 2020, contractor activity at Al Dhafra on behalf of the US military includes work done by Abacus Technology Corp. information technology,[7] Centurum information technology,[8] in addition to various construction projects.[9]
France edit
On 1 September 2008, the French Air Force opened its own military settlement in the northwest corner of the base, operating Dassault Mirage 2000-5Fs.[10]
With military operations against ISIL/ISIS, the French also deployed Breguet Atlantique II maritime patrol aircraft as part of Opération Chammal.[11]
Based units edit
Notable units based at Al Dhafra Air Base.
United Arab Emirates Air Force edit
Western Air Command
- Fighter Wing[12]
- 71 Squadron – Mirage 2000-9EAD/9DAD
- 76 Squadron – Mirage 2000-9EAD/9DAD
- 1st Shaheen Squadron – F-16E/F Desert Falcon
- 2nd Shaheen Squadron – F-16E/F Desert Falcon
- 3rd Shaheen Squadron – F-16E/F Desert Falcon
French Air and Space Force edit
(Al Dhafra 'Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Pijeaud' Air Base)
- Escadron de Chasse 1/7 Provence with the Dassault Rafale[13] from June 2016[10]
- Previously:
- Escadron de Chasse 1/2 Cigognes with the Dassault Mirage 2000-5F (2008-2010)[10]
- Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine with the Rafale (2010-2016)[10]
- Previously:
United States Air Force edit
- US Air Forces Central Command
- Air Forces Central Air Warfare Center[14]
- 380th Air Expeditionary Wing[2][15][16]
- 380th Expeditionary Operations Group
- Various Expeditionary Fighter Squadrons – F-15C Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-22 Raptor, F-35A Lightning II
- 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron – U-2 Dragon Lady
- 380th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron
- 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron – KC-10A Extender
- 968th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron – E-3 Sentry
- 380th Air Expeditionary Maintenance Group
- 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron
- 380th Expeditionary Munitions Squadron
- 380th Air Expeditionary Mission Support Group
- 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron
- 380th Expeditionary Communications Squadron
- 380th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron
- 380th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron
- 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron
- 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron
- 380th Air Expeditionary Medical Squadron
- 380th Expeditionary Operations Group
- 1st Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group[17]
- 577th Expeditionary Prime BEEF Squadron
- 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron
The 380th AEW is also known to operate the EQ-4B and RQ-4B Global Hawk.
United States Army edit
Attacks against the base edit
On 24 January 2022, Al Dhafra Air Base was targeted by Houthi Zulfiqar ballistic missiles in retaliation for UAE involvement in the ongoing Yemeni Civil War. Two missiles aimed at the base were intercepted and destroyed by US Patriot missiles, coincident to efforts by the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.[19][20][21]
References edit
- ^ a b Airport information for OMAM[usurped] from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
- ^ a b c d "380th Air Expeditionary Wing". US Air Forces Central Command. US Air Force. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. September 2014. p. 7.
- ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. May 2015. p. 56.
- ^ The National (17 April 2019). "US Air Force sends next generation fighter jets to UAE".
- ^ Pawlyk, Oriana (28 August 2017). "Air Force Acknowledges Clandestine Base in UAE". Military.com. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "Contracts for March 5, 2020". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
- ^ "Contracts for November 27, 2017". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
- ^ "Contracts for September 1, 2020". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
- ^ a b c d AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. February 2021. p. 14.
- ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. November 2014. p. 4.
- ^ "Armed Forces Overviews – United Arab Emirates Air Force". Scramble. Scramble / Dutch Aviation Society. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "Chiffres clés de l'Armée de l'air - L'Armée de l'air en chiffres : 2019-2020 (FR)". French Air and Space Force. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ^ 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs (19 June 2019). "Al Dhafra welcomes new Air Warfare Center commander". US Air Forces Central Command. US Air Force. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Thornbury, Staff Sgt. Chris (27 October 2019). "Refueling the refuelers". U.S. Air Forces Central Command. US Air Force. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ Ford, Tech. Sgt. Jocelyn A. (18 July 2019). "380 AEW AWACS provide the big picture to combatant commanders". US Air Forces Central Command. US Air Force. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ Cannady, Tech. Sgt. Darnell T. (29 December 2018). "REDHORSE and Prime BEEF building up ADAB". US Air Forces Central Command. US Air Force. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ Cannady, Tech. Sgt. Darnell T. (13 February 2019). "1-43 ADA defends ADAB's skies". US Air Forces Central Command. US Air Force. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ Alexander Cornwell; Alaa Swilam; Phil Stewart (25 January 2022). "Yemen's Houthis fail in second missile attack on UAE". Reuters.
- ^ Dış Haberler (24 January 2022). "Yemen kuvvetleri BAE'nin başkentindeki askeri üsse füze attı" (in Turkish). soL Haber Portalı.
- ^ "The UAE Is Bolstering Its Formidable Air Defenses". Forbes. 30 January 2022.
