Niger Air Base 201 Explained

Niger Air Base 201
Nigerien Air Base 201
Location:Agadez, Agadez Region
Country:Niger
Pushpin Map:Niger
Pushpin Label:Niger Air Base 201
Ownership:Niger Armed Forces
Operator:Niger Armed Forces
Built:–2019
Used:November 2019 – present[1]
Elevation:505m (1,657feet)
R1-Number:07/25
R1-Length:1890m (6,200feet)
R1-Surface:Asphalt

Niger Air Base 201 (also known in some sources as "Nigerien Air Base 201") is a Nigerien airbase near Agadez, Niger.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

The base is about 5 km southeast of Agadez. It is owned by the Nigerien military but was built and paid for by the United States. It was operated by the U.S. military as a drone base. As of February 2018, the site consisted of a runway, a hangar, and numerous smaller buildings for personnel to work and live in.[7]

Construction

Congress approved US$50 million for construction of the base, but the cost ended up exceeding $100 million.[8] [9] The Air Base was described by U.S. officials as the largest construction project led by the United States Air Force.[10] [11] 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.[12]

The runway was constructed to accommodate both General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper armed drones as well as the much larger Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport airplanes. Runway construction was undertaken by the 31st Expeditionary Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers.[13] Construction was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018, but delays pushed the completion date to spring 2019.[14]

Operations

The U.S. military presence at Base 201 began on 19 April 2016.[15]

In July 2019, the 409th Air Expeditionary Group and the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion were stationed at the base.[16] Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance flights officially began on 1 November 2019.

On 16 March 2024, Niger's government announced that it was breaking off "with immediate effect" its military cooperation agreement with the United States.[17] On 7 July 2024, the U.S. completed withdrawal of all troops from Air Base 101, while 500 remaining troops left Air Base 201 on 5 August.[18] [19]

On 6 August 2024, the US officially returned Air Base 201 to Nigerien control.[20] [21]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Pawlyk . Oriana . 2019-11-01 . US Begins Drone Operations Out of New Niger Air Base . live . Military.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20191105134619/https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/11/01/us-begins-drone-operations-out-niger.html . 2019-11-05.
  2. Web site: U.S. Building '$50 Million Drone Base' in Niger . Gaffey . Conor . 2016-09-20 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161001041730/https://www.newsweek.com/us-building-50-million-drone-base-niger-504522 . 2016-10-01.
  3. Web site: This city is a tinderbox, and the US is building a drone base next door . Damon . Arwa . Arwa Damon . Swails . Brent . Laine . Brice . 2017-07-21 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170721235640/https://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/21/africa/niger-agadez-smuggling-us-drone-base/index.html . 2017-07-21.
  4. Web site: A city in Niger worries a new U.S. drone base will make it a 'magnet' for terrorists . subscription . Raghavan . Sudarsan . Whitlock . Craig . Craig Whitlock . 2017-11-24 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171124115623/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/a-city-in-niger-worries-a-new-us-drone-base-will-make-it-a-magnet-for-terrorists/2017/11/23/0b62fbf4-cef3-11e7-a87b-47f14b73162a_story.html . 2017-11-24.
  5. Web site: Pentagon set to open second drone base in Niger as it expands operations in Africa . subscription . Whitlock . Craig . 2014-09-01 . The Washington Post . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140916224307/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-set-to-open-second-drone-base-in-niger-as-it-expands-operations-in-africa/2014/08/31/365489c4-2eb8-11e4-994d-202962a9150c_story.html . 2014-09-16.
  6. Web site: U.S. building $100 million drone base in central Niger . Farge . Emma . 2016-09-30 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171005224040/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-niger-security/u-s-building-100-million-drone-base-in-central-niger-idUSKCN12023L/ . 2017-10-05.
  7. Web site: Drones in the Sahara: A Massive U.S. Drone Base Could Destabilize Niger — and May Even Be Illegal Under Its Constitution . registration . Penney . Joe . 2018-02-18 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180218151040/https://theintercept.com/2018/02/18/niger-air-base-201-africom-drones/ . 2018-02-18.
  8. Web site: U.S. Military is Building a $100 Million Drone Base in Africa . registration . Turse . Nick . Nick Turse . 2016-09-29 . The Intercept . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160929120731/https://theintercept.com/2016/09/29/u-s-military-is-building-a-100-million-drone-base-in-africa/ . 2016-09-29.
  9. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General . Department of Defense Office of Inspector General . 2020-03-31 . Evaluation of Niger Air Base 201 Military Construction . PDF . DODIG-2020-077 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200403030207/https://www.dodig.mil/reports.html/Article/2134187/evaluation-of-niger-air-base-201-military-construction-dodig-2020-077/ . 2020-04-03.
  10. Web site: Completion of US drone base in Niger to be delayed . Rempfer . Kyle . 2018-11-19 . . live . https://archive.today/20240807023458/https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/11/19/completion-of-us-drone-base-in-niger-to-be-delayed/ . 2024-08-07.
  11. Web site: Air Force botched building its new air base in Africa. Rempfer. Kyle. 2020-04-02. Air Force Times. en-US. 2020-04-03.
  12. Everstine . Brian W. . May 2020 . Inspector General Blasts USAF, AFRICOM . live . . 103 . 5 . 26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240629041212/https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2020/04/May2020_FullIssue_New-Map.pdf . 2024-06-29.
  13. Web site: RED HORSE tests materials, equipment for future flight line . Coleman . Rachelle . 2018-10-24 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211121095844/https://www.usafe.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1670767/red-horse-tests-materials-equipment-for-future-flight-line/ . 2021-11-21 . 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..
  14. Web site: Shadowy U.S. Drone War in Africa Set to Expand . subscription . Seligman . Lara . 2018-09-04 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180905084215/https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/09/04/shadowy-u-s-drone-war-in-africa-set-to-expand/ . 2018-09-05.
  15. Web site: Review of the 724 EABS' First Year in Niger . 435th Air Expeditionary Wing . 435th Air Expeditionary Wing . 2017-11-22 . 2017-04-19 . . 2024-08-06.
  16. Web site: Nigerien Air Base 201 Airmen, host bazaar for local vendors . Boyer . Devin . 2019-07-08 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190708164728/https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1897454/nigerien-air-base-201-airmen-soliders-host-bazaar-for-local-vendors/ . 2019-07-08.
  17. Web site: Niger revokes military accord with US, junta spokesperson says . Balima . Boureima . Felix . Bate . 2024-03-16 . Reuters . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240326095805/https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/niger-revokes-military-accord-with-us-junta-spokesperson-says-2024-03-16/ . 2024-03-26.
  18. Web site: US says troops are leaving Niger bases this weekend and in August after coup . Baldor . Lolita C. . 2024-07-05 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240706021917/https://apnews.com/article/niger-american-troops-withdraw-africa-bases-414e315fb0b5e1ee8047c0baf191a6c5 . 2024-07-06.
  19. Web site: Pentagon Hands Over Last Base in Niger as Extremism Spreads in the Sahel . subscription . Schmitt . Eric . Eric P. Schmitt . 2024-08-05 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240805132325/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/us/politics/us-military-withdrawal-niger.html . 2024-08-05.
  20. News: 5 August 2024 . US hands over the last military base in Niger to the ruling junta. 5 August 2024 . Associated Press.
  21. Welty . Charles . US completes withdrawal from AB 201 . 8 August 2024 . United States Air Force . 6 August 2024.

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