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Al Dhafra Air Base ( ar, قاعدة الظفرة الجوية) is a military installation in the United Arab Emirates. The base is located approximately south of Abu Dhabi and is operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Force.
Al Dhafra hosts the United States Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (380 AEW), which was established at the base on 25 January 2002. 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 air-refueling for the Military intervention against ISIL, military intervention against ISIL/ISIS (known by the US military as Operation Inherent Resolve) and NATO led operations in Afghanistan (Resolute Support Mission, Operation Resolute Support).
The wing is known to have operated the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, F-15C Eagle, McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, F-22A Raptor, McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender, KC-10A Extender, Boeing E-3 Sentry, E-3 Sentry (AWACS) Lockheed U-2, U-2S Dragon Lady and Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, EQ-4 and RQ-4 Global Hawk. The first USAF F-35, F-35 Lightning II deployed to the Middle East was deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base in April 2019.
The US military presence at the base was only acknowledged officially by the US Air Force in August 2017, despite the US military being present since the early 1990s.
As of 2020, contractor activity at Al Dhafra on behalf of the US military includes Abacus Technology Corp. information technology, Centurum information technology, and construction projects.
Al Dhafra Air Base
at GlobalSecurity.org *
at OSGEOINT {{authority control United Arab Emirates Air Force bases French Air and Space Force bases Installations of the United States Air Force France–United Arab Emirates relations United Arab Emirates–United States relations
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has two runways, 13L/31R and 13R/31L, each having an asphalt surface measuring .Role and operations
United Arab Emirates Air Force
The airbase 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 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 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, Dassault Mirage 2000-9EAD/DAD.Military intervention against ISIL
United States
Al Dhafra hosts the United States Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (380 AEW), which was established at the base on 25 January 2002. 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 air-refueling for the Military intervention against ISIL, military intervention against ISIL/ISIS (known by the US military as Operation Inherent Resolve) and NATO led operations in Afghanistan (Resolute Support Mission, Operation Resolute Support).
The wing is known to have operated the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, F-15C Eagle, McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, F-22A Raptor, McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender, KC-10A Extender, Boeing E-3 Sentry, E-3 Sentry (AWACS) Lockheed U-2, U-2S Dragon Lady and Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, EQ-4 and RQ-4 Global Hawk. The first USAF F-35, F-35 Lightning II deployed to the Middle East was deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base in April 2019.
The US military presence at the base was only acknowledged officially by the US Air Force in August 2017, despite the US military being present since the early 1990s.
As of 2020, contractor activity at Al Dhafra on behalf of the US military includes Abacus Technology Corp. information technology, Centurum information technology, and construction projects.
France
On 1 September 2008 the French Air and Space Force, French Air Force opened their own Abu Dhabi base, military settlement within the northwest corner of the base operating Dassault Mirage 2000, Dassault Mirage 2000-5Fs. Also due to the military intervention against ISIL/ISIS, the French have also deployed Breguet Atlantic, Breguet Atlantique II maritime patrol aircraft as part of Opération Chammal.Based units
Notable units based at Al Dhafra Air Base.United Arab Emirates Air Force
Western Air Command * Fighter Wing ** 71 Squadron – Dassault Mirage 2000, Mirage 2000-9EAD/9DAD ** 76 Squadron – Mirage 2000-9EAD/9DAD ** 1st ''Shaheen'' Squadron – General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon variants, F-16E/F Desert Falcon ** 2nd ''Shaheen'' Squadron – F-16E/F Desert Falcon ** 3rd ''Shaheen'' Squadron – F-16E/F Desert FalconFrench Air and Space Force
(Al Dhafra 'Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Pijeaud' Air Base) * Escadron de Chasse 1/7 Provence with the Dassault Rafale from June 2016. ** Previously *** Escadron de Chasse 1/2 Cigognes with the Dassault Mirage 2000-5F (2008-2010) *** Escadron de Chasse 3/30 Lorraine with the Rafale (2010-2016)United States Air Force
Air Combat Command * United States Air Forces Central Command, US Air Forces Central Command ** Air Forces Central Air Warfare Center ** 380th Air Expeditionary Wing *** 380th Expeditionary Operations Group **** Various Expeditionary Fighter Squadrons – McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, F-15C Eagle, McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, F-22 Raptor, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, F-35A Lightning II **** 99th Reconnaissance Squadron, 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron – Lockheed U-2, U-2 Dragon Lady **** 380th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron **** 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron – McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender, KC-10A Extender **** 968th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron – Boeing E-3 Sentry, E-3 Sentry *** 380th Air Expeditionary Maintenance Group **** 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron **** 380th Expeditionary Maintenance 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 ** Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers, 1st Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group *** 577th Expeditionary Prime BEEF Squadron *** 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron The 380th AEW is also known to operate the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, EQ-4B and Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, RQ-4B Global Hawk.United States Army
United States Army Forces Command, US Army Forces Command * 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command ** 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (United States), 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade *** 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment **** 1st Battalion – MIM-104 PatriotAttacks against the base
On 24 January 2022, the base was targeted by Houthi movement, Houthi Zolfaghar (missile), Zulfiqar ballistic missiles, due to the UAE's involvement in the ongoing Yemeni Civil War (2014–present), Yemeni Civil War. Two missiles aimed at the base were intercepted and destroyed by US MIM-104 Patriot, Patriot missiles coincident to efforts by the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.References
External links
Al Dhafra Air Base
at GlobalSecurity.org *
at OSGEOINT {{authority control United Arab Emirates Air Force bases French Air and Space Force bases Installations of the United States Air Force France–United Arab Emirates relations United Arab Emirates–United States relations