Shaibah Air Base


Shaibah Air Base is a former Iraqi Air Force airfield in the Basrah Governorate of Iraq.

History

Royal Air Force use

It was established by the Royal Air Force in 1920 as RAF Shaibah, the resident squadron was No. 84 Squadron RAF until 1940 when No. 244 Squadron RAF took over. No 244 Sqn was involved in the Rashid Ali rebellion on 1941. RAF Station Shaibah was a small and primitive airfield in the desert with a harsh hot and humid climate. It expanded during the Second World War. By July 1942 RAF Shaibah was under the control of the RAF's Air Headquarters Iraq. At this time several units were located at Shaibah. They included:
In 1956 it was handed over to the Iraqi Air Force, and it then became an Iraqi Air Force airfield.
The airfield was bombed by a flight of four Mk.82-equipped McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs as part of the Operation Revenge launched by Iranian Air Force two hours after the Iraqi invasion of Iran. According to Iranian sources, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25s and some Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 were stationed in this airbase. The airbase was again bombed in the large-scale Operation Kaman 99 on the second day of the war.
It was abandoned after Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

War in Iraq of 2003

It was captured by Coalition forces during the Iraq War of 2003 and it became the site of a British Military Hospital and the Shaibah Logistics Base, but the original RAF buildings remain. While the SLB was in operation it was home to British, Dutch, Czech, Danish and Norwegian forces.
The following British units were posted here at some point under Operation Telic:
In 2007 the SLB was handed over to the Iraqi Army.

Current use

Today, refurbished and known as Shaibah Airport, used by light private planes.