Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar (Space Image Photos)
DigitalGlobe ^ | DigitalGlobe

Posted on 08/07/2002 12:46:39 PM PDT by advocate10

Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
25°06'57"N 51°18'55"E

New imagery from Space Imaging's Ikonos and DigitalGlobe's Quick Bird reveal continued construction at Al Udeid Airbase.

Credit: Space Imaging Middle East. Copyright (c) Space Imaging. All RIGHTS RESERVED. Online and news media distribution or publishing requires permission from Space Imaging. Contact Mark Brender for media permission at (703)558-0309 or mbrender@spaceimaging.com
Credit: DigitalGlobe. Copyright (c) DigitalGlobe. All RIGHTS RESERVED. Contact Chuck Herring for media permission or purchase at 1-(800)496-1225 or cherring@digitalglobe.com
Imagery of Al Udeid Air Base
For more Public Eye satellite imagery, see the Picture of the Week Gallery of satellite and other imagery of places in the news.
For more Public Eye satellite imagery, see the Picture of the Week Gallery of satellite and other imagery of places in the news.

Al Udeid Air Base

Satellite Imagery

Updated Satellite Imagery

Ground Truth






Click on the small image to view a larger version

Overview of the Middle East with Qatar in the center

The Persian Gulf with Qatar in the center

CIA Map Qatar 1995

NIMA 1:500,000 Tactical Pilotage Chart of with an Ikonos browse image of the Al Udeid air base overlayed

Ikonos imagery overview of Al Udeid as of January 13, 2002

New Digital Globe imagery of Al Udeid as of June 13, 2002

Ikonos imagery of a new 18 acre parking ramp under construction as of January 13, 2002

Digital Globe imagery of the completed parking ramp with 8 KC-135R Tankers and a C-17 visible as of June 13, 2002

The shadows cast by the sun reveal a faceted design that reduces the visual and radar signature of the aircraft shelter

Digital Globe imagery of the new generation aircraft shelter. The facility is constructed of hardened concrete and has four separate entrances. Interior dimensions are approximatley 1.7 acres or 76,000 square feet. Depending on parking arangements and type of aircraft, the shelter can house between 20 and 40 aircraft

Ikonos imagery of a new generation of US aircraft shelter. There are two such shelters Al Udeid, one at the North end of the airbase, and this one at the South end

This Digital Globe image shows how effective the faceting can be in reducing the signature of the facility. Both shelters are identical in layout

Ikonos imagery from January of 2002, showing the beginings of a probable Air Operations Center or Army Command Post. Power generators are visible in the lower right of the image

By June 2002, this Digital Globe image shows a security barrier protecting the compound. Concertina wire provides an interior barrier for the command post area and a separate sub-divided area is a probable SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Intelligence Facility)

Ikonos imagery of the 1 million-gallon fuel farm facility. Each of the 20 fuel bladders has a capacity of 50,000 gallons

Digital Globe imagery from June 13, 2002, shows no change in capacity

Ikonos imagery from January 2002, reveals 3 KC-10 cargo/refueling aircraft, and two KC-135s

Digital Globe imagery from June 2002, shows little change in the Orbat, 5 KC-10 Extenders

In addition to the new hardened shelters at each end of the runway, there are 12 drive-thru shelters

Each shelter is capable of holding one or possibly two fighters

Al Udeid is served by a low-profile control tower and a hardened base ops/command post. A yellow fire truck is visible

There are 3 hardened shelter/underground facilties on the airbase, one located in the weapon storage area, one near the control tower and the third, west of the tent- city. Each shelter is identical in construction and measures 30 x 40 meters. Depending on whether there are more than one story, the estimated usable space is between 12,000 and 24,000 square feet. Each shelter has a personal entrance and a larger vehicle entrance


 



TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: airbase; iraq; military; qatar
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-36 last
To: onedoug
really? How?
21 posted on 08/09/2002 3:17:00 AM PDT by no need for a name
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: no need for a name
ECM. Fry 'em.
22 posted on 08/09/2002 11:15:41 AM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: The Vast Right Wing; LiteKeeper; onedoug; Aggie Mama; Redcloak; advocate10
FYI, from October 29, 2001: SPACE OPERATIONS: Ikonos Bought Off (Pentagon buys exclusive rights to Afghan war satellite photos)

This is that satellite. The Pentagon is well aware of this.

23 posted on 08/11/2002 10:05:42 AM PDT by Prodigal Son
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: advocate10
Also, some background:

Dec 13, 2000 U.S. Embassy in Qatar is closed for security reasons

Oct 24, 2000 U.S. forces in Qatar, Bahrain on high alert

Nov 11, 2001 Some Americans hurt in Qatar shooting - diplomat

Dec 21, 2001- U.S. massing its troops near Iraq (20,000-plus soldiers moved to Kuwait, Qatar)

Feb 2, 2002 U.S. TO BOLSTER MILITARY PRESENCE IN QATAR

March 14, 2002- More Rumors: Washington Considers Moving U.S. Military Forces from Saudi Arabia to Qatar

March 14, 2002- Senior Officer Sees Bahrain, Qatar Air Bases As Backups To Saudi Arabia

March 19- Stratfor- US Moves Equipment From Saudi Base to Qatar

March 20, 2002 (Bill Gertz)- U.S. SEEKS USE OF LARGE SECRET AIRBASE IN QATAR

March 27, 2002- US paves way for war on Iraq (USAF moving HQ from Saudi to Qatar)

April 6, 2002- US Eyes Qatar as Backup for Saudi Base, Post Says

April 6 Wash Post- Contingency Plan Shifts Saudi Base To Qatar

June 30, 2002- U.S. Bolsters Forces in Qatar Desert

July 29- Souring Relations Between Qatar and Saudi Arabia Threaten U.S. Forces

Aug 7- Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar (Space Image Photos)

Aug 11- U.S. base in Qatar seen central to any Iraq attack

24 posted on 08/11/2002 10:13:08 AM PDT by Prodigal Son
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LiteKeeper
The Iraqi's can look at the pictures all they want. Thier eyes will land only on the paper the images are printed on. No one is going to touch that base.

No one.

25 posted on 08/16/2002 6:02:31 PM PDT by Thumper1960
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Thumper1960
"No one is going to touch that base. No one."

You mean kind of like how no one could touch the Pentagon?

26 posted on 09/10/2002 8:05:15 PM PDT by ItisaReligionofPeace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: tanknetter
They might be in preparation for some sort of breach between the US and Saudi Arabia that results in US forces being evicted...

I heard a few months ago that a huge amount of our air power was moving from Saudi Arabia as the quiet urging of the Saudis. This is much less embarrassing to them than having us stage the Iraqi attack from their soil.

Our main request of the Saudis was, if you won't help us, at least don't discourage others (Qatar) from stepping up.

27 posted on 09/10/2002 8:51:21 PM PDT by DJtex
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: tanknetter
They might be in preparation for some sort of breach between the US and Saudi Arabia that results in US forces being evicted...

I heard a few months ago that a huge amount of our air power was moving from Saudi Arabia as the quiet urging of the Saudis. This is much less embarrassing to them than having us stage the Iraqi attack from their soil.

Our main request of the Saudis was, if you won't help us, at least don't discourage others (Qatar) from stepping up.

28 posted on 09/10/2002 9:00:47 PM PDT by DJtex
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: ItisaReligionofPeace
Posted by ItisaReligionofPeace to Thumper1960 On News/Activism ^ Sep 10 11:05 PM #26 of 28 ^

"No one is going to touch that base. No one."
You mean kind of like how no one could touch the Pentagon?

Yeah. Now that it is no longer "then" and it is "now", No one is going to touch that base.

29 posted on 09/11/2002 4:20:03 PM PDT by Thumper1960
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Thumper1960
Probably right. Better be safe than sorry though.
30 posted on 09/11/2002 5:52:41 PM PDT by ItisaReligionofPeace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: The Vast Right Wing
it still is.... heh heh...

shell games friend.... simple new york city, streetside shell games...

it is essential in the shell game, that you show the pea to the mark(s), in order to keep them betting....

betting, betting, and betting...
31 posted on 09/11/2002 7:30:25 PM PDT by Robert_Paulson2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Robert_Paulson2
Beautiful...heh heh heh...
32 posted on 09/11/2002 8:00:08 PM PDT by The Vast Right Wing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: ItisaReligionofPeace
i was one of the engineers on that base, and a project manager/ safety officer, and i assure u no one will touch that one
33 posted on 11/27/2002 10:05:34 PM PST by nadimopm
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: nadimopm
I wonder if whoever is in charge of the Pentagon's security said similar things pre-9/11. I hope you are right.
34 posted on 11/28/2002 8:19:37 AM PST by ItisaReligionofPeace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: ItisaReligionofPeace
i am not speaking of the security factor, i am only speaking as far as design goes, no one in the reigion has the capability to do some thing to the scale of 9-11. at the time we were executing the 2nd phase of construction, we all had our own ideas of how over board the design was, but now it is clear that some folks knew what they were doing.
35 posted on 11/29/2002 10:31:03 PM PST by nadimopm
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: nadimopm
Glad to hear it is built so well. Must be some thick bunkers I reckon.
36 posted on 11/30/2002 3:51:05 AM PST by ItisaReligionofPeace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-36 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson