Niger Air Base 201

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]

Niger Air Base 201
Nigerien Air Base 201
Agadez, Agadez Region in Niger
Niger Air Base 201
Coordinates16°57′01″N 8°00′50″E
Site information
OwnerNiger Armed Forces
OperatorUnited States Africa Command
Site history
Built2016 (2016)-2019
In useNovember 2019[1]-
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: AJY
Elevation505 metres (1,657 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
07/25 1,890 metres (6,201 ft) Asphalt

The base is about 5 km southeast of Agadez. It is owned by the Nigerien 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]

Operations

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 May 2019 Vice News reported on activity at the base, then non-operational, amidst a wider report on the consequences of a US withdrawal from Niger.[13] In July 2019, the 409th Air Expeditionary Group and the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion are stationed at the base.[14]

ISR flights officially began on November 1, 2019.[15]

Construction

The amount of US$50 million was approved by Congress for the base, but the cost may end up exceeding $100 million.[16][17] 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.[18] The Air Base was described by U.S. officials as the largest construction project led by the United States Air Force.[18][19] 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.[19][20]

See also

References
  1. AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. January 2020. p. 7.
  2. "Could this drone base in Niger increase U.S. military operations in Africa?". 30 September 2016.
  3. Niger, Arwa Damon, Brent Swails and Brice Laine, CNN, in Agadez. "This city is a tinderbox, and the US is building a drone base next door".
  4. Raghavan, Sudarsan; Whitlock, Craig (24 November 2017). "A city in Niger worries a new U.S. drone base will make it a 'magnet' for terrorists" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  5. Whitlock, Craig (1 September 2014). "Pentagon is set to open second drone base in Niger as it broadens counterterrorism operations in West Africa" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  6. "U.S. building $100 million drone base in central Niger". 30 September 2016 – via Reuters.
  7. "A city in Niger worries new US drone base will make it a 'magnet' for terrorists". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  8. Penney, Joe (18 February 2018). "Drones in the Sahara: A Massive U.S. Drone Base Could Destabilize Niger — and May Even Be Illegal Under Its Constitution".
  9. 438th Air Expeditionary Group (April 19, 2017). "Review of the 724 EABS' First Year in Niger". YouTube. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  10. Seligman, Lara (September 4, 2018). "Shadowy U.S. Drone War in Africa Set to Expand". Foreign Policy.
  11. Rempfer, Kyle (January 4, 2019). "New in 2019: Two new US air bases in Africa nearing completion". Air Force Times.
  12. Coleman, Rachelle (October 24, 2018). "RED HORSE tests materials, equipment for future flight line". United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa. 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.
  13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf3ZhovZ2So
  14. Boyer, Devin (July 8, 2019). "Nigerien Air Base 201 Airmen, Soliders [sic] host bazaar for local vendors". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019.
  15. Pawlyk, Oriana (November 1, 2019). "US Begins Drone Operations Out of New Niger Air Base". Archived from the original on November 5, 2019.
  16. Turse, Nick (2016-09-29). "U.S. Military is Building a $100 Million Drone Base in Africa". The Intercept.
  17. Penney, Joe (2018-02-19). "Drones in the Sahara: A Massive U.S. Drone Base Could Destabilize Niger — and May Even Be Illegal Under Its Constitution". The Intercept.
  18. Rempfer, Kyle (November 19, 2018). "Completion of US drone base in Niger to be delayed". Air Force Times.
  19. Rempfer, Kyle (2020-04-02). "Air Force botched building its new air base in Africa". Air Force Times. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  20. Everstine, Brian W. "Inspector General Blasts USAF, AFRICOM". Air Force Magazine. No. May 2020. p. 26.
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