Largest US Air Force base in Middle East set to open, strengthening ties with Kuwait
The largest United States airport in the Middle East is set to open in Kuwait next month, the US Air Combat Command said.
“Cargo City” is almost complete and will serve as a military logistics point for the Kuwaiti Air Force and the US military.
The project cost US$32 million (Dh117.5m), spans 33,000 square metres and will be the largest loading terminal for troops and military equipment in the region.
The airfield is next to Kuwait International Airport and will be a temporary station until its replacement, West Al Mubarak Air Base, is completed in 2023.
Capt Sean Murphy, the civil engineering officer in charge, said moving to the new airport would allow direct contact between coalition forces and the Kuwaiti Air Force.
The US and Kuwaiti air forces were given a year to move from Abdullah Al Mubarak Air Base to make room for Kuwait’s new international airport, which is expected to open in 2022.
Although they were expecting to move directly to the West Al Mubarak Air Base, construction of Kuwait’s airport advanced quickly, forcing them to a temporary location.
“Moving everything to an entirely new location does not seem ideal at first and building an entire base from scratch is a different conversation altogether,” Capt Murphy said.
“The current base personnel also have to overcome the displacement of staff, all while still executing their mission.”
But he said Kuwait provided full support for the project, importing more than 1.24 million cubic metres of construction fill to the site and providing 24-hour transport and logistics over the four-month project.
“During the building process, we were able to form friendships and build bonds with our generous host-nation partners,” Capt Murphy said. “We wanted to go into this project with the clear intentions of building not just an operating location, but a lasting partnership.”
After the move to the new base, Cargo City will serve as the permanent cargo holding area for the new civil airport.
At a cost of $32m, the logistics point will serve the US and Kuwaiti forces