Al Dhafra Air Base
Al Dhafra Air Base () is a military installation in the United Arab Emirates. The base is located approximately south of Abu Dhabi and is operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Force. Facilities. The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has two runways, 13L/31R and 13R/31L, each having an asphalt surface measuring . Role and operations. United Arab Emirates Air Force. The airbase is the headquarters of the Western Air Command of the United Arab Emirates Air Force. It hosts the UAE Air Force Fighter Wing, comprising the 1st Shaheen Squadron, 2nd  Shaheen Squadron, and 3rd Shaheen Squadron which is equipped with the Lockheed Martin F-16E/F Desert Falcon). The base is also home to the 71st and 76th Fighter Squadrons which operate the Dassault Mirage 2000-9EAD/DAD. Military intervention against ISIL. United States. Al Dhafra hosts the United States Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (380 AEW), which was established at the base on 25 January 2002. The 380 AEW's mission is to carry out combat operations to provide high-altitude all-weather intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, airborne command and control and air-refueling for the military intervention against  ISIL/ISIS (known by the US military as Operation Inherent Resolve) and NATO led operations in Afghanistan (Operation Resolute Support). The wing is known to have operated the F-15C Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-22A Raptor, KC-10A Extender, E-3 Sentry (AWACS) U-2S Dragon Lady and EQ-4 and RQ-4 Global Hawk. The first USAF F-35 Lightning II deployed to the Middle East was deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base in April 2019. The US military presence at the base was only acknowledged officially by the US Air Force in August 2017, despite the US military being present since the early 1990s. As  of 2020, contractor activity at Al Dhafra on behalf of the US military includes Abacus Technology Corp. information technology, Centurum information technology, and construction projects. France. On 1 September 2008 the French Air Force opened their own military settlement within the northwest corner of the base operating Dassault Mirage 2000-5Fs. Also due to the military intervention against ISIL/ISIS, the French have also deployed Breguet Atlantique II maritime patrol aircraft as part of Opération Chammal. Based units. Notable units based at Al Dhafra Air Base. United Arab Emirates Air Force. Western Air Command United States Air Force. Air Combat  Command The 380th AEW is also known to operate the EQ-4B and RQ-4B Global Hawk. United States Army. US Army Forces Command Attacks against the base. On 24th January 2022, the base was targeted by Houthi Zulfiqar ballistic missiles, due to the UAE's involvement in the ongoing Yemeni Civil War. Two missiles aimed at the base were intercepted and destroyed by US Patriot missiles coincident to efforts by the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.