Isa Air Base
Isa Air Base Arabic: قاعدة الشيخ عيسى الجوية | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Bahraini Air Force | ||||||||||
| Location | Bahrain | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 136 ft / 41 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 25°55′06″N 050°35′26″E / 25.91833°N 50.59056°E | ||||||||||
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Isa Air Base (IAB), formerly known as Shaikh Isa Air Base (ICAO: OBBS), is located in on the shore of the Persian Gulf in southern Bahrain.
It hosts the Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF) Fighter Wing and the two squadrons that comprise it.
History
[edit]During the first Gulf War, some of the Coalition forces, having trouble with the Arab pronunciation, knew the base under the name "Shakey's Pizza".[2]
Current use
[edit]
Bahrain
[edit]The base is home to the RBAF's 1st Fighter Wing:
- 1st Fighter Squadron – Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon C/D Block 40
- 2nd Fighter Squadron – F-16C/D Block 40
- 6th Fighter Squadron – Northrop F-5E/F
- 5th Squadron – British Aerospace Hawk
- 4th Squadron – Slingsby T-67 Firefly
United States
[edit]In March 2009, the United States Air Force established a camp on Isa Air Base to support aerial port operations. The unit was designated a detachment of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing of Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. This detachment's purpose was to accelerate the delivery of mine-resistant ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
As part of its operations against ISIL, the United States has deployed various aircraft there.[3]
As of August 27, 2020, KBR is in charge of base operations support services at Isa Air Base.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Airport information for OBBS". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 2019-03-05. Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF.
- ^ Frederick Forsyth: "The Fist of God", ISBN 0-552-13990-4[page needed]
- ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. May 2015. p. 59.
- ^ "Contracts for August 27, 2020". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Retrieved 2020-09-11.