Contents
Key Facts
| Name: | Shaikh Isa Air Base |
| Alternate Name: | |
| Location: | Shaikh Isa |
| Region: | |
| ICAO Code: | OBBS |
| IATA Code: | none |
| Usage: | Military |
| Category: | Major Air Base |
| Start: | unknown |
| End: |
Ownership
Operator: Royal Bahraini Air Force, Air Operations Centre, PO Box 245, Bahrain.
Operator’s Identity Codes:
| Code | Operator |
| n/a | RBAF |
Location
| Country | Region | Sub-Region |
| Bahrain | Southern Governorate | – |
Address: Not known.
Nearest Town/City: Manama – airfield is 11 miles (18 km) south.
| Latitude | Longitude | |
|---|---|---|
| Deg. Min. Sec. | N 25° 55′ 06.10″ | E 050° 35′ 26.01″ |
| Decimal | N 25.9184° | E 50.5906° |
Elevation: 41 m/136 ft
[geo_mashup_map map_content=”global” center_lat=25.9184 center_lng=50.5906 zoom=13 name=”airfields”]
History
Name Changes
| Shaikh Isa Air Base | 1987 – Present |
Narrative Summary
The massive Shaikh Isa Air Base is located in the south east of Bahrain Island, 18 nm south of Manama. It was built with American assistance from 1987. It is the base for the 1st Fighter Wing of the BAAF. After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, and during the Gulf War, the base was host to A-6E and F/A-18 units of the US Marine Corps between August 1990 and March 1991. USMC, US Navy and USAF units have continued to deploy to the base at regular intervals up until the present day.
Note: Several references give the location of this base as being on Sitrah (or Sintrah) Island. Sitrah is a small island to the west of Bahrain Island and does NOT host any military air bases.
Key Dates
| 1987 | Work starts on constructing Shaikh Isa AB | |
| 198? | Formally opening of the base | |
| 1990 | US military units arrive |
Runways
| Direction | Length | Width | Surface | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metres (m) | Feet (ft) | Metres (m) | Feet (ft) | ||
| 15/33 | 3800 | 12467 | 45 | 148 | Paved |
Residents
The following organisations are, or were, permanently based at this location:
Based Military Units
| Unit | Operator | Arrived | Departed | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Fighter Wing | RBAF | 1989 | Current | Various |
| VMA(AW)-224 | USMC | 28 Aug 1990 | Mar 1991 | Fighter-Bomber |
| VMFA-235 | USMC | 22 Aug 1990 | Mar 1991 | Fighter-Bomber |
| 69th FS | USAF | ? | ? | Fighter |
Based Civilian Operators
Not applicable.
Photo Gallery
To be added.
More Information
Books
‘The Story of Aviation in the Kingdom of Bahrain’ [Order this book from Amazon UK]
Magazines
Feature articles to be added.
Websites
| Disclaimer: Information is provided on this page for historical purposes only, and not for aerial navigation. |