Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar (Space Image Photos)

DigitalGlobe ^ | DigitalGlobe

[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. Al Udeid Air Base Satellite Imagery Updated Satellite Imagery Weapons Storage Areas Prepositioning Installations Tent City Orbat 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

 

[no need for a name]

really? How?

[onedoug]

ECM. Fry 'em.

[Prodigal Son]

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.

[Prodigal Son]

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

[Thumper1960]

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.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

"No one is going to touch that base. No one."

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

[DJtex]

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.

[DJtex]

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.

[Thumper1960]

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.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Probably right. Better be safe than sorry though.

[Robert_Paulson2]

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...

[The Vast Right Wing]

Beautiful...heh heh heh...

[nadimopm]

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

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I wonder if whoever is in charge of the Pentagon's security said similar things pre-9/11. I hope you are right.

[nadimopm]

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.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Glad to hear it is built so well. Must be some thick bunkers I reckon.