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Al Dhafra Air Base
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Al Dhafra Air Base
Al Dhafra Air Base (ADAB, 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.
The base was attacked by the Houthis in 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.
The base was attacked again during the 2026 Iran war by a missile, causing damage to the base.[citation needed]
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).
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.
Al Dhafra hosts the United States Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (380 AEW), established at the base in 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 has 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.
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Al Dhafra Air Base
Al Dhafra Air Base (ADAB, 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.
The base was attacked by the Houthis in 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.
The base was attacked again during the 2026 Iran war by a missile, causing damage to the base.[citation needed]
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).
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.
Al Dhafra hosts the United States Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (380 AEW), established at the base in 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 has 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.
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