Ar Rumaylah Southwest Air Base

Military capture and subsequent abandonment following the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The base was seized by U.S. coalition forces, ending its function for the Iraqi Air Force. It was not subsequently maintained or reactivated due to extensive battle damage from both the 1991 and 2003 conflicts and its strategic redundancy with the nearby, larger Tallil Air Base (now Ali Air Base).

The airbase is abandoned and in a state of dereliction. Satellite imagery shows a decaying runway, taxiways, and numerous destroyed hardened aircraft shelters. The infrastructure is not maintained, and there is no aviation activity. The site lies within the vast Rumaila oil field, but the base itself appears unused and serves as a relic of past conflicts.

Also known as Jalibah Southeast Air Base, it was a major strategic airbase for the Iraqi Air Force (IQAF). It housed fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons, including MiG-23 and Sukhoi Su-22 aircraft, protected by numerous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS). During the 1991 Gulf War, it was a primary target for coalition air power and a key node in Iraq's air defense network. In the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, its capture by the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division was a significant early objective, neutralizing a threat in southern Iraq and securing the flank for the advance on Baghdad.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Ar Rumaylah Southwest / Jalibah Southeast Air Base. The Iraqi government has focused its resources on modernizing other strategic airbases. Given the extensive damage, the high cost of reconstruction, and its proximity to the operational Ali Air Base, its reactivation for either military or civilian purposes is considered highly unlikely.