🇮🇶 Qayyarah West Airport

Qayyarah Airfield West (ICAO: ORQW, IATA: RQW), also known as Q-West or Key West, is an Iraqi Air Force base located 20 kilometers west of Qayyarah and 60 kilometers south of Mosul.

Type of facility and operations: It is a medium-sized airport with two main runways. One runway measures 11,483 feet (3,500 meters) and the other 12,088 feet (3,684 meters). The base has approximately 30 hardened aircraft shelters. It serves as a hub for the Iraqi Air Force.

Notable features or history: Built in the 1970s, it was part of Iraq's "Super-Base" project and became a major airfield during the Iran-Iraq War, hosting Dassault Mirage F1 EQ, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 MLs, and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25s.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, the base was heavily attacked by Coalition airpower and seized by ground forces. The main runway and control tower sustained significant damage from precision bombing. U.S. Army forces repaired the runway, allowing it to accept large transports like the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.

In 2014, ISIS occupied Q-West. The Iraqi army recaptured it in July 2016 during the Mosul offensive, and it subsequently served as a strategic launchpad and international headquarters for the Battle of Mosul. The U.S. deployed approximately 560 troops from the 101st Airborne Division to the base for the battle.

Current status: Control of Qayyarah Airfield West was returned to Iraqi forces in March 2020 as part of long-planned adjustments by the Coalition, citing the Iraqi Security Forces' success against ISIS. The base continues to be used by Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition forces for anti-ISIS operations. As of March 2020, the base had a population of approximately 800, including a French military element.

*Sources researched: inherentresolve.mil, en.wikipedia.org, armytimes.com, globalsecurity.org, thepilotsdesk.com*