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XIJ
OKAJ

🇰🇼 Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base

Ahmed Al Jaber AB, KW-AH, KW 409 ft Asia/Kuwait
Updated Jul 4, 2026

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Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base (IATA: XIJ, ICAO: OKAJ) serves Ahmed Al Jaber AB, KW.

Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base (OKAJ/XIJ) is a Kuwait Air Force base located in Ahmadi Governorate, Kuwait. It hosts both Kuwait Air Force and United States Air Force operations.

Type of Facility and Operations:

  • Kuwait Air Force: The base is home to the Kuwait Air Force's entire fighter/attack aircraft fleet, including three squadrons (9th, 25th, and 61st) operating KAF-18C/D Hornet jets.
  • United States Air Force: The base hosts the United States Air Force's 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, which provides combat capabilities such as aerial refueling, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), space operations, combat search and rescue (CSAR), and precision strike. These operations support the military intervention against ISIL/ISIS (Operation Inherent Resolve) and broader military operations in the Middle East. Various US Air Force aircraft, including F-15E Strike Eagles, MQ-9A Reapers, KC-135R Stratotankers, and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, have been deployed there. The United States Marines have also operated from the base with MV-22B Ospreys, EA-6B Prowlers, AV-8B Harrier IIs, and KC-130J Hercules.

Notable Features or History:

  • Gulf War (1991): During the 1991 Gulf War, coalition aircraft attacked Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base multiple times due to rumors of chemical munitions storage and to impede operations. Iraqi forces had used the hardened concrete hangars for munitions storage and deployed howitzers known for chemical munition delivery. Iraqi Air Force jets also dropped air-scattered mines, forcing Kuwaiti Air Force aircraft to land on a nearby road.
  • US Presence: The US side of the base was reopened around July 2010 in support of Operation New Dawn and again in 2014. The 332nd Air Expeditionary Group was activated at the base on December 1, 1998.
  • Runways: The base has two runways, both 3,000 meters (9,843 ft) long: 15L/33R and 15R/33L.

Current Status:

  • Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base is operational.
  • As of 2022, satellite images showed unrepaired hardened aircraft shelters throughout the air base.

*Sources researched: en.wikipedia.org, globalsecurity.org, airnavradar.com, metar-taf.com, mapy.com*

AirportRoutes · updated Jul 4, 2026
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Where is Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base located?

Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base is located in Ahmed Al Jaber AB, KW, at an elevation of 409 ft. Its IATA code is XIJ and ICAO code is OKAJ.