History

I finally got around to tracking down this short history of the air base. It is some pretty interesting stuff, enjoy:

Origins - Al Taqaddum Airbase (TQ) was built in the mid 1980’s to replace the aging and obsolete airbase at Habbaniyah- which was built in the 1930’s by the British to house both fighters and sea planes. Known under the Saddam Regime as Tahmmouz Airbase, TQ was constructed by Yugoslavian contractors who completed 24 trapezoid hardened aircraft shelters prior to 1985. The base had various defenses against air attack, namely Russian SA-2 & SA-3 as well as French made Roland anti-aircraft missile batteries. The underground chemical weapon bunkers housed on base were defended by ZSU-23 & ZSU-24 anti-aircraft guns, tanks, and Special Forces infantry. It is of note that since the 1970’s, the areas around TQ were strictly off limits to anyone not a member of the ruling Baath party.

Pre-Desert Storm - TQ’s fighters and bombers flew frequent missions off the base in the war between Iraq and Iran. TQ was bombed by Iran, although the airbase at Habbaniyah was bombed more heavily because it was the more established base. It was during this period that IL-28 Russian made bombers based at TQ were used not only against Iran but also against various Kurd uprisings. Also, at this time TQ housed chemical and biological weapons. Intelligence reports there was at least one underground chemical storage bunker aboard the base and this was logical given that one of Iraq’s two largest chemical / biological weapons factories was located in the adjacent town of Habbaniyah. Chemical weapons used against the Kurds in the 1980’s were delivered by planes launched from TQ. It is interesting to note that the MIG-25 fighter aircraft based here were actually controlled by a Soviet Union military contingent stationed at TQ during the Iran-Iraq war.

Desert Storm - TQ was a priority target for the Coalition during Operation Desert Storm. The base was attacked by F-117 stealth fighters as well as other Coalition aircraft throughout the engagement. Targets attacked on the opening night of the war were: what was thought to be the chemical weapons storage bunker, aircraft (some being Russian TU-22 supersonic bombers), the Iraqi Air Force Operations Center, GCI radar facility, and command, control & communication bunkers. The IAF were able to launch only two aircraft from the base against Coalition aircraft during Desert Storm. One plane had to abort it’s take off due to intense Electronic Counter Measures, and the other hit a runway denial mine before takeoff. The base was hit again during follow-on strikes and was never to play a role in Desert Storm. The IAF flew 97 planes to Iran- many of them top of the line MiG-29’s and French F-1 fighters based at TQ. Iran never gave the planes back.

Post-Desert Storm to OIF - TQ was heavily damaged during Desert Storm, but was then cleaned up and used heavily by the IAF because of its geographical location as one of a handful of bases that were not located under a UN clarified “No-Fly Zone”. It was during this time Saddam started his most controversial tactic of “saving” his Air Force- the disassembly and reassembly of his aircraft. Planes were routinely torn apart and put back together to hide them from UN inspectors and save them from the potential of future air strikes. As of 2002, Saddam had a mistrust of his Air Force because an Iraqi MIG-23 flown from TQ (there is some debate about whether this plane instead flew from Balad) attacked one of Saddams palaces near Lake TharThar by attempting to bomb the palace. Before the pilot succeeded, the plane was shot down by Saddams guards and the pilot captured after he ejected. The pilot was interrogated by Saddam himself, and brought before base commanders. The pilot was burned alive in front of the command, and then all commanders at the base were executed. During this time, it is believed Saddam acquired and stored approximately 100,000 tons of various ammunition and weapons aboard and around TQ. Some items were useless such as the 6,000 pound Chinese aerial naval bombs as the IAF did not have a plane that could deliver such a bomb.

Operation Iraqi Freedom - The IAF was non-existent during OIF. The last plane in the IAF flew March 19, 2003 (the beginning of combat operations under OIF). On that day, most IAF aircraft were hidden or were in the disassembly stage as no order was given to reassemble the planes for combat. It is suggested that Saddams intentions were to save his Air Force from flying in a war where they would have no effect and could not be turned over to a new government once captured. If the war had gone his way, the aircraft would then still be available for use once unearthed and reassembled. The first note of Coalition Forces entering TQ was by Australian SAS. They discovered approximately 50 planes hidden under camouflaged netting. TU-22 supersonic bombers were discovered in their revetments destroyed, still there from the opening night of Desert Storm some 12 years prior. The discovery of buried aircraft came from a tip from a local national and at TQ alone totaled 30-40 planes.

Today – Since the initial capture of TQ by Coalition forces, TQ has been under the control of various commands- mainly the 82nd Airborne and U.S. Marines. Most damage to TQ came during Desert Storm since an OIF primary strategy has been to not destroy key infrastructure or facilities with the intent of later use. In 2003 and to the present this has been easier to accomplish because no Iraqi air threat exists and technological advances in weaponry have allowed a greater degree of precision in targeting and acquisition. Today, TQ is home to several American force commands. Multi-national Force units transit or are tenants aboard the installation and its twin runways are capable of supporting strategic aircraft as well as tactical fixed wing and helicopters. TQ is a central hub in the Multinational Force areas of operation and directly supports combat operations throughout Al Anbar Province.