- Sheik Isa Air Base
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Isa Air Base IATA: none – ICAO: OBBS Summary Airport type Military Operator Royal Bahraini Air Force Location Bahrain Elevation AMSL 136 ft / 41 m Coordinates 25°55′06″N 050°35′26″E / 25.91833°N 50.59056°E Runways Direction Length Surface m ft 15/33 3,800 12,467 Concrete and Asphalt Source: DAFIF[1] Isa Air Base, formerly Shaikh Isa Air Base (ICAO: OBBS), is located on the 665 km² island nation of Bahrain which is situated off Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast. Isa Air Base is located on the shore of the Persian Gulf in southern Bahrain.
It hosts the Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF) Fighter Wing and the two squadrons that comprise it.
During the first Gulf War, some of the Coalition forces, having trouble with the Arab pronunciation, knew the base under the name "Shakey's Pizza".[2]
Fighter aircraft are stored in 10 buildings located at either end of the runway.
In March 2009, the United States Air Force established a camp on Isa Air Base to support aerial port operations. The unit was designated a detachment of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing of Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. This detachment's purpose was to accelerate the delivery of mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Elements
The base is home to the RBAF's 1st Fighter Wing:
- 1st Fighter Squadron
- 2nd Fighter Squadron
- 4th Squadron - Training
- 5th Squadron - Training
- 6th Fighter Squadron
References
- ^ Airport information for OBBS at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- ^ Frederick Forsyth: "The Fist of God", ISBN 0-552-13990-4
External links
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