Dostmohammadkhan Kalay Airport

Military Decommissioning. The airport was a purpose-built military airstrip and not a public or commercial facility. Its closure was a direct result of the cessation of military operations at the adjacent Forward Operating Base. With the drawdown and eventual complete withdrawal of US and Coalition forces from Afghanistan, the strategic need for this remote logistical hub was eliminated.

The site is completely abandoned and inactive. Analysis of recent satellite imagery reveals a visible but unmaintained dirt runway that is showing significant signs of erosion and is slowly being reclaimed by the surrounding desert terrain. The adjacent military compound, which was once protected by HESCO barriers, has been dismantled. The site is unused for any aviation or other formal purposes and remains a relic of the previous military presence in the region.

The airstrip was of tactical military significance during the war in Afghanistan, particularly during the surge period from approximately 2010 to 2014. Located in a highly contested area of northern Helmand Province, it served as a vital logistical hub for a small Forward Operating Base, likely named FOB Dost Mohammad Khan. Its operations were exclusively military, focused on supporting counter-insurgency efforts. It handled Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) capable transport aircraft (such as the C-130 Hercules) for resupply and troop movement, as well as helicopters for patrol, transport, and critical medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) missions. It had no history of civilian or commercial aviation.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airstrip. The original military purpose for its existence is gone. The current Afghan government has limited resources and is focused on maintaining larger, more strategic airports. There is no economic or civilian demand in this remote, sparsely populated area that would justify the significant cost of rehabilitating and operating the airfield. For all practical purposes, its reopening is considered highly improbable.