Isa Air Base

Isa Air Base

Arabic: قاعدة الشيخ عيسى الجوية
Isa Air Base; Arabic: قاعدة الشيخ عيسى الجوية
	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
	Source: DAFIF

Isa Air Base (IAB), formerly known as Shaikh Isa Air Base (ICAO: OBBS), is located on the island nation of Bahrain. 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

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

U.S. Marine Corps Marine Aircraft Group 11 aircraft at Sheik Isa, in 1991.

Bahrain

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

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]

References

^ "Airport information for OBBS". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 2019-03-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) 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.

External links

Shaikh Isa Air Base / Sheik Isa Airbase, Bahrain - Global Security.org

[WAD-1] "Airport information for OBBS". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 2019-03-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF.

[2] Frederick Forsyth: "The Fist of God", ISBN 0-552-13990-4^{[page needed]}

[AFMMAY15-59-3] AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. May 2015. p. 59.

[4] "Contracts for August 27, 2020". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Retrieved 2020-09-11.

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