 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2012) |
Prince Sultan Air Base | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
قاعدة الأمير سلطان الجوية | |||||||||
| Al-Kharj, Riyadh Province in Saudi Arabia | |||||||||
 A US Air Force E-3 Sentry deployed to the 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing takes off from Prince Sultan AB during the initial stages of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. | |||||||||
 The emblem of Prince Sultan Air Base | |||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Royal Saudi Air Force base | ||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defense | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Saudi Air Force | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  Prince Sultan AB Location in Saudi Arabia | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 24°03′19″N 047°33′49″E / 24.05528°N 47.56361°E | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1951 | ||||||||
| In use | 1951 – present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Garrison |
| ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: AKH, ICAO: OEPS | ||||||||
| Elevation | 503.2 metres (1,651 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Sources: World Aero Data[1][2] | |||||||||
Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB, Arabic: قاعدة الأمير سلطان الجوية, IATA: AKH[3], ICAO: OEPS) is a military air base located in the closed city of Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia.[1]
History
There was a large United States presence there during Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. The U.S. presence was predominantly that of multiple United States Air Force (USAF) flying units, augmented by a United States Navy (USN) or United States Marine Corps (USMC) Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler squadron, a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter squadron with Panavia Tornado F.3s and a French Air Force fighter squadron with Dassault Mirage 2000s, Mirage F1 CR plus a Boeing C-135RF Stratotanker air refueling aircraft. Following the attack on USAF facilities at Khobar Towers in Dharan in 1996, all USAF activities at that location were relocated to PSAB.
Before the September 11 attacks, per agreement with the Saudi Arabian government, all U.S. and Allied aircraft stationed at PSAB were to be of a "defensive" versus "offensive" nature. This was due to Arab sensitivities that non-Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) aircraft in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia should be perceived as there for the Kingdom's defense.
During Operation Southern Watch, aircraft carrying offensive strike ordnance for use against ground targets in Iraq were stationed in Kuwait or aboard aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. United States Air Force, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, Royal Air Force, and French Air Force aircraft that were based at PSAB primarily consisted of airborne early warning, reconnaissance, air refueling, electronic warfare, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), and air-to-air fighter aircraft, along with transient airlift aircraft. U.S. squadrons came under the operational control of the formerly 4404th Wing (Provisional), 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing (363 AEW) at PSAB, with associated squadrons or detachments before 11 Sep 2001 rotated in and out from their home bases in Europe, the United States, or the Pacific on a 90-day to 6-month basis. During Operation Southern Watch, in addition to Active Component aircraft, the USAF made extensive use of Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, and Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and associated personnel on rotational assignments to PSAB. The United States Navy, Navy Reserve, and United States Marine Corps also employed EA-6B aircraft from PSAB as well.
In August and early September 1998, Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) and its associated Coalition Air Operations Center (CAOC) were in the process of relocating from the Eskan Village complex in Riyadh to PSAB, concurrent with construction of a more modern and expanded CAOC at PSAB. The 1996 Khobar Towers bombing accelerated this movement, so that subsequent command and control of all Coalition air operations for Operations Enduring Freedom and the 2003 invasion of Iraq were executed from PSAB, before 11 September 2001.[4]
During the War in Afghanistan, the Saudi government refused to allow the United States to use its air bases in Saudi Arabia to launch offensive air operations against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and al-Qaeda, but did allow them to use Prince Sultan Air Base to coordinate offensive air operations of air combat operations launched from other countries.[5] In mid-2003, all U.S. operations at PSAB began migrating to Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar.
.jpg)
Between 2003 and 2005, Vickers VC10s from No. 101 Squadron RAF were based here in support of Operation Telic before moving to RAF Al Udeid (a section of the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar).[6]
In October 2019, 2,000 U.S. troops joined approximately 700 service members already stationed at the air base,[7] along with deploying B-1B bombers, F-22 Raptor stealth fighters, and Patriot missile batteries.[8] The new troop buildup followed several attacks on oil tankers by Iran in the Gulf of Oman.[9]
The 378th Air Expeditionary Wing was activated at Prince Sultan on 17 December 2019, with the Air Force stating that the wing's mission is to 'provide strategic depth and increased defensive support while sustaining regional presence to promote peace through deterrence'.[10]
On 2 March 2026, during the Iran war, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence announced that five hostile drones were intercepted and destroyed near the Prince Sultan base. The incident followed a separate drone strike earlier the same day on Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura refinery. According to official statements, the drones were neutralised before reaching their targets, and no casualties were reported.[11]
Current use
- RSAF Wing 6:[12]
- No. 17 OCU Squadron RSAF
- No. 18 Squadron RSAF with the Boeing E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance aircraft.
- No. 19 Squadron RSAF with the Beech Model 350i Super King Air and the Boeing RE-3A/B signals intelligence aircraft
- RSAF Wing 4:[12]
- No. 23 Squadron RSAF with the Boeing KE-3A airborne refueller
- No. 24 Squadron RSAF with the Airbus A330-203/243 MRTT
- No. 32 Squadron RSAF with the Lockheed KC-130H Hercules & KC-130J
- RSAF Wing 14:[12]
Facilities
The air base resides at an elevation of 1,651 feet (503 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways designated 17L/R/35L/R, with an asphalt surface measuring 4,000 by 45 metres (13,123 ft × 148 ft).[1]
The base currently uses hundreds of tents for temporary housing, though there are plans to replace them with trailers and more permanent structures.[13]
The US Air Force 378th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron is responsible for pest management on the base.[14]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Airport information for OEPS from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
- ^ Airport information for AKH at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- ^ "Airline and Airport Code Search (AKH: Prince Sultan AB, Al Kharj)". International Air Transport Association (IATA). Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ^ "The Short, Strange Life of PSAB".
- ^ Blanchette, Nicholas (2021-12-16), Haun, Phil; Jackson, Colin; Schultz, Tim (eds.), "Operation Enduring Freedom: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Air Power over Afghanistan", Air Power in the Age of Primacy (1 ed.), Cambridge University Press, pp. 97–120, doi:10.1017/9781108985024.006, ISBN 978-1-108-98502-4, retrieved 2022-02-02
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ^ "19 Years Over Iraq". The Official RAF Annual Review 2010. Stamford: Key Publishing: 11. December 2010.
- ^ "Pentagon to Deploy Around 2,000 Additional Troops to Saudi Arabia". The Wall Street Journal. 11 October 2019.
- ^ "Air Force Sends B-1B Bombers To Saudi Arabia Amid U.S. Military Buildup In The Kingdom". The Drive. 25 October 2019.
- ^ "Esper Tours Saudi Military Site as U.S. Readies Troop Buildup". The Wall Street Journal. 22 October 2019.
- ^ Sims, Senior Airman Giovanni (17 December 2019). "378th AEW officially activates at PSAB". US Air Forces Central Command. US Air Force. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
- ^ Ata, Huda (2026-03-02). "Saudi Arabia intercepts five drones near Prince Sultan Air Base". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
- ^ a b c "Royal Saudi Air Force - Al Kharj/Prince Sultan Air Base (OEPS)". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
- ^ Baldor, Lolita C. (January 29, 2020). "US expands troop, fighter jet presence at Saudi base". Military Times.
Right now, the large white tents that flap in the stiff winds give a temporary feel to the mission. But according to Air Force Col. Jason King, vice commander of the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing here, there is "prudent planning" underway that could lead to the tents being replaced with trailers and other more permanent structures.
- ^ "Keeping the peace from the shadows". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS). Retrieved 2022-09-13.
External links
- Prince Sultan Air Base at GlobalSecurity.org
- Prince Sultan Air Base at CNN
- Prince Sultan Air Base at AFCENT
- Prince Sultan Air Base at Defense Visual Information Distribution hub
