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Chabelley Airport

Summary

Chabelley Airport (ICAO: HDCH), also known as the Chabelley Airfield, is a military airstrip in Chabelley, located some 6 miles to the southwest of Djibouti City, the capital of Djibouti.[1]

Chabelley Airport
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
LocationChabelley, Djibouti
Elevation AMSL348 ft / 106 m
Coordinates11°31′N 43°04′E / 11.517°N 43.067°E / 11.517; 43.067
Map
HDCH is located in Djibouti
HDCH
HDCH
Location of airport in Djibouti
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
10/28 8,530 2,600 Asphalt

Facilities edit

The airport has a single asphalt runway 10/28 that is 8,530 x 95 feet (2,600 x 29 m) long. It features displaced thresholds and runway turnarounds at either end in place of a parallel taxiway. Two small concrete aprons have been constructed to provide parking and maintenance facilities, some of the several additions made by the US military since 2013. Other additions include a perimeter fence, guard towers, and vehicle access gates.[2][3]

Military edit

Although it is operated and used by the French military,[4] it began serving as a temporary base for U.S. military unmanned aircraft in September 2013.[5][6] The move came after the Djiboutian government expressed concern over a number of recent drone mishaps and accidents at the American Camp Lemonnier Naval Expeditionary Base, which serves as a hub for counterterrorism operations in Yemen and Somalia. The Djiboutian authorities consequently asked U.S. officials to relocate the drones to the rarely used Chabelley Airfield.[5] Previously, Chabelley airstrip had been exclusively reserved in case of need for the French military.[6] The U.S. Air Force's 870th Air Expeditionary Squadron operates Predator and Reaper drones from the airfield.[7][4]

References edit

  1. ^ Airport information for HDCH at Great Circle Mapper.
  2. ^ Turse, Nick (October 21, 2015). "The Stealth Expansion of a Secret U.S. Drone Base in Africa".
  3. ^ "Contracts for September 29, 2015". U.S. Department of Defense.
  4. ^ a b Trevithick, Joseph (5 January 2016). "This small airstrip is the future of America's way of war". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  5. ^ a b Whitlock, Craig; Miller, Greg (24 September 2013). "U.S. moves drone fleet from Camp Lemonnier to ease Djibouti's safety concerns". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  6. ^ a b "La Corne de l'Afrique, enjeu stratégique majeur". Assajog (in French). 17 November 2013. Archived from the original on 20 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  7. ^ Turse, Nick. "Target Africa: America's expanding drone network". The Intercept. Retrieved 2021-10-13.

External links edit

  • Satellite view of Chabelley Airport