United States Air Force Following joint military operations during
Operation Desert Storm in 1991,
Qatar and the United States concluded a Defense Cooperation Agreement that has been subsequently expanded. In 1996, Qatar built Al Udeid Air Base at a cost of more than $1 billion. The U.S. first used the then-secret base in late September 2001, when the
U.S. Air Force (USAF) needed to get aircraft in position for its operations in Afghanistan. The U.S. has nearly 40,000 military personnel in the
Middle East. The U.S.
Fifth Fleet is in
Bahrain and has 28,000 military personnel in
Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. Kingdoms, including Qatar, cover 60 percent of the costs, around $650 million. Official acknowledgement of the base came in March 2002, when U.S. Vice President
Dick Cheney stopped there during a trip to the region with a group of reporters. In April 2003, shortly after the start of the
U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the U.S. Combat
Air Operations Center for the Middle East moved from
Prince Sultan Air Base in
Saudi Arabia to what was then a backup headquarters, built a year prior in Qatar that was viewed as a more congenial location for basing U.S. troops. Al Udeid and other facilities in Qatar serve as
logistics,
command, and basing hubs for the
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations, and oversees U.S. air operations in countries, including
Iraq,
Afghanistan, and
Syria.
Royal Air Force Between 2004 and 2009 the airbase was used by the British
Royal Air Force with transport and fast-jet aircraft to support
Operation Telic (
Iraq War) and
Operation Herrick (
War in Afghanistan). These included 6 to 8
Panavia Tornado GR4 aircraft drawn from different parts of the Royal Air Force as well as multiple
Vickers VC10 from the
No. 101 Squadron RAF. British Tornados were equipped with a range of stores, including the Vicon Recce Pod,
LITENING targeting pod,
1000 lb HE bombs,
Paveway II and
Paveway III laser-guided bombs, and the
RAPTOR Recce Pod. They were chosen for their currency and up-to-date modification state. The RAF aircraft were accompanied by aircraft engineers and personnel active in support and operation management roles. Between 20 March to 15 April 2003, the Al Udeid Wing of the RAF flew 268 sorties in operations against the Government of
Saddam Hussein in Iraq at the start of the Iraq War. Later, when the threat to coalition aircraft was reduced, the Hornets switched to ground attack and combat support roles and were used to
attack Iraqi
ground forces with
laser-guided bombs. The Orions flew long endurance missions over the
Persian Gulf tracking vessels, curbing smuggling, and guarding against the threat posed by suicide boats. The deployed Hercules flew supplies and equipment into Iraq, and later flew some of the first
humanitarian aid into Baghdad. The 14
Royal Australian Air Force Hornets flew over 670
sorties during the war, including 350 combat sorties over Iraq.
Iranian missile strikes On 23 June 2025, as a response to
Operation Midnight Hammer by the
USA, where nuclear facilities were targeted,
Iran started
missile strikes on the military base, shortly before 8 p.m.
AST and after Qatar had closed its airspace. This was followed by explosions in
Doha. Qatar said that there were no casualties and that all but one missile was intercepted. Iran said six missiles hit successfully. Satellite images by Planet Labs revealed the destruction of the white
radome that contained American secure communication equipment. On 28 February 2026, during the
2026 Iran war, Iran attacked the base again.
CBC News, citing the
Canadian Department of National Defense's website, reported that Canadian soldiers were present at the time of the attack. == Current use ==