The United States has a very close patronage of the Middle East region. In this area there are a number of military bases and defense facilities with large military contingents deployed there.
In the UAE, 32 km south of Abu Dhabi, there is a large Al Dhafra Air Base. There are two asphalt runways with a length of 3661 meters. Al Dhafra is jointly used by the UAE Air Force and the United States Air Force and Air Force.
Satellite image of Google Earth: F-15E and F-22A fighters at Al Dhafra airbase
American combat aviation is represented here by the F-15E and F-22A and F / A-18 aircraft. In addition, the E-3D AWACS aircraft, the latest KS-46A tankers and the S-130N and S-17 military transport aircraft are based here.
Satellite image of Google Earth: E-3D AWACS aircraft and KS-46A tankers at Al-Dhafra airbase
In the interests of the National Security Agency, U-2S reconnaissance aircraft and RQ-4 Global Hawk heavy drones operate from the Al Dhafra airbase.
Satellite image of Google Earth: high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft U-2S at Al Dhafra airbase
Satellite image of Google Earth: F-15E fighter-bomber, E-3D AWACS aircraft and RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV at Al Dhafra airbase
Several American bases are located in Kuwait. The Ali Al Salem Air Base is located 30 km from the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border. This airfield is used jointly by the Kuwaiti and American military. In its western part, which is at the disposal of the Kuwaiti Air Force, the Hawk and Tucano trainers are deployed, as well as SA 342 Gazelle and AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopters. The eastern part with large-scale parking is at the disposal of the Americans. On a permanent basis, there are military transport aircraft C-17 and C-130, as well as patrol aircraft R-3C.
Satellite image of Google Earth: aircraft С-17, С-130Н and Р-3С at the parking lot of Al Salem airbase
American attack and reconnaissance drones MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper operate from the Al Salem airbase. Their range allows them to control most of Iraqi territory from here.
Satellite image of Google Earth: American UAVs at Al Salem airbase
To the east of the Al Salem airfield, the American Patriot air defense system is deployed, its launchers are oriented northeast in the direction of Iran.
Satellite image of Google Earth: the position of the American air defense system "Patriot" in the Al Salem area, in the upper left corner you can see the landing aircraft
In total, Kuwait has five batteries of the Patriot air defense missile system installed on the capital concrete positions. Most of them are deployed around and even in the capital itself - Kuwait.
All launchers are pointing north. In this regard, part of the PU is not protected by caponiers, since the positions initially at the construction stage were oriented towards Iraq, in the western direction.
Satellite image of Google Earth: the position of the Patriot air defense system in Kuwait
Since December 1, 1998, combat aircraft and drones of the 332nd Expeditionary Wing (332 AEW) have been based at the Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait. The deployment of American combat aircraft in this area took place under the pretext of protecting the US Middle East allies from the "Iraqi threat."
After the invasion of Iraq by the pro-American coalition troops in 2003, the F-16C / D and A-10C aircraft located at the Ahmed Al Jaber airfield took an active part in delivering airstrikes against targets in Iraq. Later, some of the aircraft from here were relocated to the Iraqi airfields of Balad Air Base and Kirkuk (Al Hurriya Air Base). Unfortunately, the available images of American bases in Iraq are in extremely low resolution, and the most recent of them correspond to 2005-2010.
Satellite image of Google Earth: American F-16C / D fighters, A-10C attack aircraft and Italian Tornado ECR at Ahmed Al Jaber airfield
After the Iraqi airfields were formally transferred to the Iraqi authorities, the combat aircraft of the 332nd Expeditionary Wing returned to the Ahmed Al Jaber airfield. It also houses four Italian Tornado ECR fighter-bombers. It was reported that aircraft from the Ahmed Al Jaber airbase participated in combat missions against the Islamic State.
In 1996, the Qatari authorities, despite the fact that the country had a very small fleet of military aircraft, began construction of the Al Udeid Air Base worth $ 1 billion. It is obvious that this base was originally created in the interests of the United States.
In the second half of 2001, the US Air Force began to populate El Udeid. Prior to the full commissioning of the new air base, the United States used the runway and infrastructure of the international airport in Doha. At the moment, the military part of the capital's Qatari airport also regularly receives American military transport aircraft, but on a much smaller scale.
By the beginning of 2002, a large amount of military equipment had been transferred to the base. Thousands of American servicemen were deployed at the base and in its vicinity, fuel and lubricants and ammunition depots were created. About 300 Abrams tanks, 400 Bradley armored vehicles, a large number of armored personnel carriers and self-propelled artillery were transferred here.
In 2005, Qatar's leadership allocated $ 400 million to create a state-of-the-art command and communications center, which is currently under American control. The headquarters of the US Regional Central Command and the US Air Force Command are stationed here.
Satellite image of Google Earth: El Udeid air base
The base's runways with a length of more than 4000 meters can accommodate all types of combat and military transport aircraft. More than 100 aircraft can be accommodated in El Udeid. The base is equipped with the most modern control and communication systems.
Satellite image of Google Earth: military transport aircraft C-130H, tanker aircraft KS-135R and reconnaissance aircraft RC-135 V / W in El Udeid
The airbase has a very extensive fleet of combat and special-purpose aircraft. In addition to military transport aircraft and tankers, the RC-135 V / W electronic reconnaissance and interception aircraft and the EA-6B jammers belonging to the USMC are based here. The presence on the base of a large number of air tankers makes it possible to refuel combat aircraft in the air during their transfer from the United States and during combat missions.
Satellite image of Google Earth: B-1B bombers and KS-135R tankers in El Udeid
The base played an important role in supporting military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are currently about 10,000 US troops in Qatar. Al Udeid Air Base is the most important of 35 US military installations in the region. In addition to the Department of Defense, the base in the southeastern part contains facilities used by the US National Security Agency.
Satellite image of Google Earth: the position of the Patriot air defense system in the vicinity of El Udeid
To protect the airbase El Udeid, two batteries of the Patriot air defense system were deployed in its vicinity. The launchers are aimed north and east. It can be noted that the number of American air defense systems deployed in the Middle East is unprecedented and many times greater than the number of anti-aircraft batteries in Europe. Virtually all major US military installations in the region have anti-aircraft cover.
In the south of Bahrain, near the coast of the Persian Gulf, the American Isa Air Base has been operating since 2009. The runway with a length of more than 3800 meters can accommodate all types of aircraft.
Satellite image of Google Earth: F-16C / D fighters, military transport C-130, base patrol P-3C and reconnaissance EP-3E at Isa airfield
Prior to that, the airfield was used by the Bahrain Air Force, the F-16C / D and F-5E fighters, as well as the Hawk 129 trainer were based here. From 2009 to 2015, the rotation of aviation equipment was carried out at the base. The aircraft of the 379th Expeditionary Wing (379 AEW) are currently located here.
Satellite images show F-16C / D fighters, P-3C base patrol aircraft of the Navy, and a rather rare EP-3E radio reconnaissance aircraft. At 500 meters south of the runway, there are positions of the Patriot air defense missile system.
Saudi Arabia is one of the closest and most influential US allies in the Middle East. At the moment, there are officially no large US military contingents with equipment and weapons on the territory of the kingdom. There are currently several thousand American advisers and technicians in the kingdom who are helping to train the Saudi military.
The last US military bases in Saudi Arabia were closed at the end of 2003 after the end of the active phase of the war in Iraq. However, close military cooperation between the countries continued. US military transport, tanker aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft have always used Saudi airfields when necessary. The most commonly used for this is the King Abdulaziz Air Base in the suburbs of Dhahran and the runway of the King Faisal Naval Base. At the moment, Saudi Arabian troops are fighting in Yemen, and the United States is actively supporting them. It is mainly about providing intelligence. In addition, American armed UAVs operate from Saudi territory.
An American radar center is located in the Israeli Negev desert near the Dimona nuclear facility. Its most visible part is its two 400-meter radar masts. It is believed that this radar center is designed to track ballistic missiles in space and provide target designation to ground-based anti-missile systems.
Satellite image of Google Earth: radar center in Dimona
The facility is owned and operated by American personnel, with the resulting data being broadcast to the United States and to the Israeli Anti-Ballistic Missile Operations Center.
In addition, in the same area there is a radar position located on a JLENS balloon. JLENS balloons are part of the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) radar complex. This complex can be used in the interests of heterogeneous forces on the scale of a theater of operations.
Satellite image of Google Earth: balloon radar complex in Dimona
The information received from the balloon radar is transmitted via fiber-optic cables to the ground processing complex, and the generated data on land, sea and air targets is delivered to consumers. At the same time, the means of the JLENS system allow early warning of the approach of enemy aircraft and cruise missiles long before they are detected by ground-based air defense radars.
In addition, not far from the complex in Dimona, on Mount Keren, the American AN / TPY-2 radar, which is part of the THAAD anti-missile system, is on alert. The AN / TPY-2 radar can detect ballistic missile warheads at a range of 1000 km at a scanning angle of 10-60 °. This station has good resolution and is able to distinguish targets against the background of the debris of previously destroyed missiles and separated stages. In addition to Israel, AN / TPY-2 radars are deployed in Turkey, at Kürecik Air Force base, and in Qatar, at El Udeid air base, as well as in Okinawa. But unlike Turkey and Qatar, the Israeli military have their own anti-missile systems.
As part of the Australian-American defense cooperation in the central part of Australia, south-west of the city of Alice Springs, the Pine Gap reconnaissance complex, which is part of the global information collection system ECHELON and the satellite infrared system, operates under the joint control of the US and Australian authorities. SBIRS missile attack warnings.
The location is of strategic importance as it allows control of American spy satellites covering a third of the globe. This area includes China, North Korea, the Asian part of Russia and the Middle East.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Pine Gap complex in Australia
Officially, the complex is designed to control and track spacecraft in low-earth orbit. However, according to the released information, two dozen antennas and equipment of the complex work in the interests of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Intelligence Agency (NRO). In total, the facility employs about 800 people. Their tasks include receiving and processing information from geostationary satellites about intercepted telemetry and communication radio signals, characteristics of radar and air defense systems radiation. The equipment of the Pine Gap complex is also involved in reconnaissance flights over the Pacific Ocean of the RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV.
