Support: November 21, 2002

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The U.S. Air Force has at least 15,000 troops stationed in the Persian Gulf. American and Britain have military aircraft stationed at eleven air bases in the area, only one of them is in Saudi Arabia. The number of aircraft stationed in these bases varies. Right now it is probably close to 300. The number given below are from October. During the height of the Afghanistan operations, there were over 500 aircraft at these bases. It is thought that these bases could hold as many as a thousand military aircraft, which, including carrier based warplanes, would mean some 1200 warplanes. Take away the huge Saudi Prince Sultan base, and there would still be over 1100 military aircraft. 

Saudi Arabia - Prince Sultan Air Base - 72 aircraft (18 F-15 , 18 F-16, six E-3 AWACS, two E-8 JSTARS, four RC-135 electronic reconnaissance aircraft, 12 KC-135 tankers, two U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, six UH-60 Medevac helicopters, four Tornado F3 fighter-bombers. 

Bahrain - Muharraq Airfield One British L-1011 Tristar tanker. 

Kuwait - Ali Al Salem Air Base - two HC-130P medevac aircraft, six British Tornado GR4 fighter-bombers, some recon UAVs.

Kuwait - Al Jaber Air Base -77 aircraft (12 - A-10, 18 - F-15C, F-15E, 8 - F-16CG/DG , 12 USMC F/A-18, eight C-130 transports, two HH-60G rescue helicopters, seven E-3 AWACS command and control aircraft.)

Oman - Masirah Air Base 22 aircraft 319th Air Expeditionary Group (six KC-135R tankers, eight C-130 transports, six AC-130U gunships, two MC-130E special operations transports.)

Oman - Seeb International Airport 14 (8 F-15, eight C-130 transports) 

Oman - Thumrait Air Base 18 aircraft (eight B-1B, two E-3 AWACS, six RC-135 electronic reconnaissance aircraft, two British Nimrod MR2 naval reconnaissance aircraft.)

Qatar - Al Udeid Air Base 12 aircraft (four KC-10 tankers, six KC-135R , two E-8 JSTARS ground reconnaissance aircraft) 

UAE - AL Dhafra Air Base two U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, one RQ-4 Global Hawk robotic recon aircraft, four KC-10 tankers.) 

Incirlik air base, Turkey, 60 aircraft (18 F-16, 12 F-15E, three MC-130 special operations transports, three HH-60G search and rescue helicopters, three UH-60 transport helicopters, 12 KC-135 tankers, three E-3A AWACS, two EA-6B electronic warfare aircraft, six British Jaguar bombers, two British VC10 tankers. )

Diego Garcia (a 17 square mile Indian Ocean island some 4700 kilometers south of Iraq) 20 aircraft (eight B-52 s, 12 KC-135R tankers) 

 

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