Al Dhafra Air Base () 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.
Facilities
The airport sits at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has two runways, 13L/31R and 13R/31L, each with an asphalt surface measuring .
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.