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Al Dhafra Air Base

American-Emirati joint military complex

Field	Value
name	Al Dhafra Air Base
native_name	قاعدة الظفرة الجوية
partof
location	Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi
nearest_town
country	the United Arab Emirates
image	F-16e block60.jpg
caption	A United Arab Emirates Air Force F-16E Desert Falcon of the type based at Al Dhafra AB
image2	[[File:United_Arab_Emirates_Air_Force.svg	100px]]
caption2	Emblem of the United Arab Emirates Air Force
type	UAE Air Force base
coordinates
pushpin_map	UAE
pushpin_map_caption	Location in the United Arab Emirates
pushpin_label	Al Dhafra AB
pushpin_label_position	bottom
ownership	United Arab Emirates Armed Forces
operator	United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF)
controlledby	Western Air Command
open_to_public
site_other_label
site_other
site_area
code
built
used	1983 – present
height
length
fate
condition	Operational
current_commander
past_commanders
garrison	*Fighter Wing (UAEAF)
occupants
IATA	DHF
ICAO	OMAM
elevation	23 m
r1-number	13L/31R
r1-length	3,661 m
r1-surface	Asphalt
r2-number	13R/31L
r2-length	3,661 m
r2-surface	Asphalt
h1-length
airfield_other_label
airfield_other
footnotes	Sources: World Aero Data

Escadron de Chasse 1/7 Provence (French Air and Space Force)
380th Air Expeditionary Wing (USAF) | r1-number = 13L/31R | r1-length = 3,661 m | r1-surface = Asphalt | r2-number = 13R/31L | r2-length = 3,661 m | r2-surface = Asphalt | h1-number = | h1-length = | h1-surface = Al Dhafra Air Base (ADAB, , ) is a military installation in the United Arab Emirates. The base is located approximately 20 mi south of Abu Dhabi, and is operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Force.

History

The base was attacked by the Houthis on 17 and 24 January 2022. An Emirati THAAD intercepted a midrange ballistic missile on January 17 and two missiles aimed at the base were intercepted and destroyed on January 24 by Patriot missiles. The interception by the THAAD marked the system’s first known use in a military operation.

Facilities

The airport sits at an elevation of 77 ft above mean sea level. It has two runways, 13L/31R and 13R/31L, each with an asphalt surface measuring 3661 x.

Role and operations

United Arab Emirates Air Force

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

United States

Al Dhafra hosts the United States Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (380 AEW), 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 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). 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. The first USAF F-35 Lightning II deployed to the Middle East was deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base in April 2019.

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.

As of 2020, contractor activity at Al Dhafra on behalf of the US military includes work done by Abacus Technology Corp. information technology, Centurum information technology, in addition to various construction projects.

France

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.

With military operations against ISIL/ISIS, the French also deployed 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 – 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

(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

US Air Forces Central Command
- Air Forces Central Air Warfare Center
- 380th Air Expeditionary Wing
  - 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
- 1st Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group
  - 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

US Army Forces Command

32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command
- 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
  - 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment
    - 1st Battalion – MIM-104 Patriot

References

{{usurped
(25 January 2022). "Yemen's Houthis fail in second missile attack on UAE". Reuters.
(30 January 2022). "The UAE Is Bolstering Its Formidable Air Defenses". Forbes.
(21 January 2022). "THAAD, in first operational use, destroys midrange ballistic missile in Houthi attack". Defense News.
(17 May 2017). "380th Air Expeditionary Wing". US Air Force.
(September 2014). "[[AirForces Monthly]]". [[Key Publishing.
(May 2015). "[[AirForces Monthly]]". [[Key Publishing.
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".
"Contracts for March 5, 2020".
"Contracts for November 27, 2017".
"Contracts for September 1, 2020".
(November 2014). "[[AirForces Monthly]]". [[Key Publishing.
"Armed Forces Overviews – United Arab Emirates Air Force". Scramble / Dutch Aviation Society.
"Chiffres clés de l'Armée de l'air - L'Armée de l'air en chiffres : 2019-2020 (FR)". French Air and Space Force.
(February 2021). "[[AirForces Monthly]]". [[Key Publishing.
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs. (19 June 2019). "Al Dhafra welcomes new Air Warfare Center commander". US Air Force.
Thornbury, Staff Sgt. Chris. (27 October 2019). "Refueling the refuelers". US Air Force.
Ford, Tech. Sgt. Jocelyn A.. (18 July 2019). "380 AEW AWACS provide the big picture to combatant commanders". US Air Force.
Cannady, Tech. Sgt. Darnell T.. (29 December 2018). "REDHORSE and Prime BEEF building up ADAB". US Air Force.
Cannady, Tech. Sgt. Darnell T.. (13 February 2019). "1-43 ADA defends ADAB's skies". US Air Force.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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