The UK Joint Logistics Support Base (UKJLSB) is a military base located within the

Al Duqm Port & Drydock Duqm Port is a seaport located in the Duqm, Oman. The port is equipped with a Ship Repair Yard & Drydock facility. In August 2017, the Oman and the U.K. governments jointly established the UK Joint Logistics Support Base at Duqm Port. The port ...

Duqm Duqm ( ar, ٱلدُّقْم, Ad-Duqm) is a port town on the Arabian Sea in central-eastern Oman. As of 2010, the population was 11,200. History Duqm was a small fishing settlement of the Janubah tribe on the coast of southern Oman, when a party ...

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...

. As a British overseas military base, it is used to facilitate the deployment of the British Armed Forces in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...

and

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...

History

In March 2016, the British government secured a joint venture between the British-based

Babcock International Babcock International Group plc is a British aerospace, defence and nuclear engineering services company based in London, England. It specialises in managing complex assets and infrastructure. Although the company has civil contracts, its main b ...

and the Omani-based Oman Drydock Company to develop the

into a strategic port capable of supporting naval operations. An agreement was subsequently announced to construct logistical support infrastructure especially for the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, ...

, named the UK Joint Logistics Support Base (UKJLSB), in August 2017. The location was chosen by the UK due to its strategic position, which is east of the Suez Canal but outside the Persian Gulf. It is part of the UK's wider foreign policy strategy to re-engage globally after

Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAE ...

, in particular within the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

and

Asia-Pacific Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the part of the world near the western Pacific Ocean. The Asia-Pacific region varies in area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, Russian Far East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Pacific Isla ...

. Other British military bases within the region include HMS ''Jufair'' and RAF Al Udeid, which are located in

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

and

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

, respectively. Prior to construction, the Royal Navy helped survey the approaches to the harbour. Following construction by Babcock International, the UKJLSB was officially opened in October 2018 and was used during Exercise Saif Sareea 3, the largest British military exercise in the region for over 15 years. The base is large enough to accommodate the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

's nuclear submarines and Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, which will utilize the facilities operationally from 2021.

Dry dock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

facilities large enough to accommodate the aircraft carriers are also available for use. As a joint base, it is controlled by Strategic Command (previously Joint Forces Command) and is currently leased for 37 years. HMS Queen Elizabeth Duqm Port Oman

During a trip to the Middle East in September 2020, British

Secretary of State for Defence The secretary of state for defence, also referred to as the defence secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the business of the Ministry of Defence. The incumbent is a membe ...

Ben Wallace Ben Wallace most commonly refers to: *Ben Wallace (basketball) (born 1974), American basketball player *Ben Wallace (politician) (born 1970), British Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace may also refer to: * Benjamin Wallace (circus owner) (1 ...

announced that the UKJLSB would be tripled in size following a £23.8 million investment to better facilitate

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

training. Another facility, a joint training area, was also established in the nearby Ras Madrakah training area, named the Omani-British Joint Training Area, in 2019. In January 2021, the Type 23 frigate became the first Royal Navy ship to be overhauled at the facility. In November 2021, the base hosted HMS ''Queen Elizabeth'' and her strike group for the first time prior to their participation in joint military training with Omani forces.

References

{{Coord, 19.6685, 57.7061, region:OM, format=dms, display=title Military installations of the United Kingdom Military installations of the United Kingdom in other countries

History

See also

References