Niger Air Base 201 Nigerien Air Base 201 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agadez, Agadez Region in Niger | |||||||
Coordinates | 16°57′01″N 8°00′50″E / 16.95028°N 8.01389°E | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Owner | Niger Armed Forces | ||||||
Operator | United States Africa Command | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
Built | 2016 | -2019||||||
In use | November 2019 [1]- | ||||||
Garrison information | |||||||
Garrison | 409th Air Expeditionary Group | ||||||
Airfield information | |||||||
Identifiers | IATA: AJY | ||||||
Elevation | 505 metres (1,657 ft) AMSL | ||||||
|
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Is the runway still under construction?.(April 2024) |
Niger Air Base 201 (also known in some sources as "Nigerien Air Base 201") is a United States drone airbase near Agadez, Niger. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
The base is about 5 km southeast of Agadez. It is owned by the Nigerian military but built and paid for by the United States. It is operated by the U.S. military as a drone base. As of February 2018, the site consists of a runway, still under construction, a hangar, and numerous smaller buildings for personnel to work and live in. [8]
The U.S. military presence at Base 201 began on April 19, 2016. [9] Once complete, the runway will be big enough to accommodate both General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper armed drones as well as the much larger Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport airplanes. [8] Construction was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018. [10] However, delays have pushed the completion estimate to mid-2019. [11] Runway construction is being undertaken by the 31st Expeditionary Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers. [12]
In July 2019, the 409th Air Expeditionary Group and the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion are stationed at the base. [13]
ISR flights officially began on November 1, 2019. [14]
The amount of US$50 million was approved by Congress for the base, but the cost may end up exceeding $100 million. [15] [16] The base was originally planned to be operational by the end of 2018, but delays have caused the completion date of the base to be pushed to mid-2019. [17] The Air Base was described by U.S. officials as the largest construction project led by the United States Air Force. [17] [18] A report by the Department of Defense Inspector General criticized the project for skirting congressional oversight, failing to complete an adequate site survey, and not constructing the base to meet safety, security, and other technical requirements, findings that were disputed by the Air Force and U.S. Africa Command. [18] [19]
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U.S. Air Force 31st Expeditionary Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operation Repair Squadron Engineer Airmen prepare a flight line test strip on Nigerien Air Base 201, Agadez, Niger, Oct. 19, 2018.
Niger Air Base 201 Nigerien Air Base 201 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agadez, Agadez Region in Niger | |||||||
Coordinates | 16°57′01″N 8°00′50″E / 16.95028°N 8.01389°E | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Owner | Niger Armed Forces | ||||||
Operator | United States Africa Command | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
Built | 2016 | -2019||||||
In use | November 2019 [1]- | ||||||
Garrison information | |||||||
Garrison | 409th Air Expeditionary Group | ||||||
Airfield information | |||||||
Identifiers | IATA: AJY | ||||||
Elevation | 505 metres (1,657 ft) AMSL | ||||||
|
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Is the runway still under construction?.(April 2024) |
Niger Air Base 201 (also known in some sources as "Nigerien Air Base 201") is a United States drone airbase near Agadez, Niger. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
The base is about 5 km southeast of Agadez. It is owned by the Nigerian military but built and paid for by the United States. It is operated by the U.S. military as a drone base. As of February 2018, the site consists of a runway, still under construction, a hangar, and numerous smaller buildings for personnel to work and live in. [8]
The U.S. military presence at Base 201 began on April 19, 2016. [9] Once complete, the runway will be big enough to accommodate both General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper armed drones as well as the much larger Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport airplanes. [8] Construction was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018. [10] However, delays have pushed the completion estimate to mid-2019. [11] Runway construction is being undertaken by the 31st Expeditionary Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers. [12]
In July 2019, the 409th Air Expeditionary Group and the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion are stationed at the base. [13]
ISR flights officially began on November 1, 2019. [14]
The amount of US$50 million was approved by Congress for the base, but the cost may end up exceeding $100 million. [15] [16] The base was originally planned to be operational by the end of 2018, but delays have caused the completion date of the base to be pushed to mid-2019. [17] The Air Base was described by U.S. officials as the largest construction project led by the United States Air Force. [17] [18] A report by the Department of Defense Inspector General criticized the project for skirting congressional oversight, failing to complete an adequate site survey, and not constructing the base to meet safety, security, and other technical requirements, findings that were disputed by the Air Force and U.S. Africa Command. [18] [19]
{{
cite web}}
: |first=
has generic name (
help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)
U.S. Air Force 31st Expeditionary Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operation Repair Squadron Engineer Airmen prepare a flight line test strip on Nigerien Air Base 201, Agadez, Niger, Oct. 19, 2018.