Ar Rumaylah Southwest Air Base
| Ar Rumaylah Southwest Air Base | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°21′21″N 047°06′36″E / 30.35583°N 47.11000°E |
Ar Rumaylah Southwest Air Base is a former Iraqi Air Force base in the Basra Governorate of Iraq. It was captured by Coalition forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[1]
Overview
Ar Rumaylah Air Base was a primary air base for the Iraqi Air Force. At each end of the main 10,000-foot runway are a dozen hardened aircraft shelters known as "Trapezoids" or "Yugos" which were built by Yugoslavian contractors some time prior to 1985 with multiple runways and taxiways, patterned after their Russian counterparts.
The base was heavily attacked by Coalition air power during Operation Desert Storm in January 1991, and seized by the U.S. 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in February 1991. It was abandoned by the Iraqi Air Force after the cease fire in late February.
Current aerial imagery shows that the operational structures around the airfield appear to have been demolished and removed. Today the concrete runway and series of taxiways remain exposed and deteriorating to the elements, being reclaimed by the desert.