Doha International Air Base (Doha IAB), also known as Camp Snoopy, was a military airbase of the Qatar Emiri Air Force located at Doha International Airport in Doha, Qatar. It operated officially from 1991 to 1993 and from 1996 to 2004, and was also used by the United States Armed Forces.
Location and Identification
The base was situated at Doha International Airport, Doha, Qatar, with coordinates 25°15′03″N 51°34′25″E. Its IATA code was DIA and its ICAO code was OTBD. It had a single concrete runway (15/33) measuring 3,820 meters (12,533 ft) in length.
History
Following the Persian Gulf War in 1991, the United States and Qatar secretly signed a defense cooperation agreement that allowed the U.S. military to establish operations at the site. The base was initially closed after the Persian Gulf War as forces withdrew from the Middle East, but was re-opened in 1996.
The year 2000 saw rapid expansion by the Pennsylvania and Ohio Air National Guard and U.S. Navy Seabees. Projects included 15 force-protection projects, high-security entrance points, kennels, aircraft maintenance facilities, 32 Scud bunkers, five towers, 180 feet (55 m) of blast wall, a mile of road, and a mile of trenching. Engineers poured 650 cubic yards (500 m³) of concrete and moved 10,000 cubic yards (7,600 m³) of desert rock.
In late 2002, a second wave of engineering projects added basic comforts, including a small swimming pool, trailers replacing tents for the dining facility, and a larger post office.
Closure
In May 2002, Qatar Airways announced expansion and renovation plans for Doha International Airport that required reclaiming the land on which Camp Snoopy was located. Combined with the expansion of Al Udeid Air Base and the establishment of U.S. bases in Iraq, the need for Camp Snoopy ended, and it was closed in 2004.
Naming
Two accounts exist for the "Camp Snoopy" name: one states it was due to the large amount of "snooping" by curious locals from nearby Doha along the base's perimeter; another claims it was due to the large number of feral dogs that roamed the base when it was initially established.
Mission
At its height, Camp Snoopy was the largest pre-positioning base outside the United States. It stockpiled enough equipment to accommodate a brigade set with two armored and one mechanized battalion, as well as equipment for combat service support units. Troops could be airlifted in and ready for action within 96 hours.
The base served as home for the U.S. Air Force's 64th Air Expeditionary Group, later enlarged to the 64th Air Expeditionary Wing prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The 64th primarily operated the C-17 Globemaster III. Camp Snoopy also served as the final departure point for personnel and equipment headed for Afghanistan and as the central mail distribution point for bases in Afghanistan.
In late 2002, the base hosted an Air Force Special Operations Command detachment operating the Lockheed MC-130 Combat Talon. Due to limited ramp space, the airlift mission was largely shifted to nearby Al Udeid by January 2003, with the main focus becoming special operations until the base closed in 2004.
Former American Units
- 64th Air Expeditionary Group / 64th Air Expeditionary Wing
- U.S. Army's 260th Quartermaster Battalion and 559th Quartermaster Battalion (deployed 2002–2003)
- Army Materiel Command-Forward, South West Asia
Current Units (Qatar Emiri Air Force)
Following the closure of the U.S. presence, the base continues to host Qatar Emiri Air Force units:
Flying Wing 1
- 11 Squadron – BAE Systems Hawk 167 (at RAF Leeming, UK)
Flying Wing 3
- 8 Anti Surface Vessel Squadron – NHIndustries NH90
- 9 Multirole Squadron – NH90-NFH and NH90-TTH
- LifeFlight – AgustaWestland AW139
- 41 Squadron – Boeing AH-64E Apache
