🇦🇪 Al Dhafra Air Base

Al Dhafra Air Base (IATA: DHF, ICAO: OMAM) is a military installation operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF), located approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Constructed in 1983, it serves as the headquarters for the UAEAF's Western Air Command.

The base features two asphalt runways, 13L/31R and 13R/31L, each measuring 3,661 meters (12,011 ft) in length and 46 meters (151 ft) in width, and sits at an elevation of 23 meters (75 ft) above mean sea level.

Al Dhafra Air Base hosts several air force units:

• United Arab Emirates Air Force: Operates the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Shaheen Squadrons with Lockheed Martin F-16E/F Desert Falcons, and the 71st and 76th Fighter Squadrons with Dassault Mirage 2000-9EAD/DAD aircraft.
• United States Air Force: The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (380 AEW) has been officially acknowledged at the base since August 2017, conducting intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, airborne command and control, and aerial refueling operations for missions like Operation Inherent Resolve. The 380 AEW has operated various aircraft, including the F-15C Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-22A Raptor, KC-10A Extender, E-3 Sentry, U-2S Dragon Lady, EQ-4, RQ-4 Global Hawk, and the F-35 Lightning II.
• French Air and Space Force: Established a military settlement in 2008, operating Dassault Mirage 2000-5Fs and Breguet Atlantique II maritime patrol aircraft for operations such as Opération Chammal.

The base has been targeted by Houthi missile attacks, notably in January 2022, where an Emirati THAAD system achieved its first known military interception, and Patriot missiles also intercepted incoming threats. The base was again damaged by a missile during the 2026 Iran war.

Al Dhafra Air Base is currently operational.

*Sources researched: en.wikipedia.org, globalsecurity.org, metar-taf.com, flightera.net, globalmilitary.net*