Isa Air Base
Isa Air Base |
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| IATA: none – ICAO: OBBS | |||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Isa Air Base, formerly Shaikh Isa Air Base (ICAO: OBBS), is located on the 665 km² island nation of Bahrain which is situated off Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast. Isa Air Base is located 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.
Due to the Military intervention against ISIL the United States have deployed various aircraft there.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ Airport information for OBBS at World Aero Data. 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.
