Base aérienne projetée 101 Niamey (Diori Hamani International Airport)

Summary

Operating Country 🇫🇷 France
Location 🇳🇪 Niger
Status Active
UsageDual
Operating OrganizationFrench Air and Space Force

Description

Base aérienne projetée 101 Niamey is an air base located in Niamey, Niger, sharing the site with Diori Hamani International Airport. It was formerly a projected air base for the French Air and Space Force. French forces departed the base on December 22, 2023. Following the French departure, the United States military deployed approximately 1,000 soldiers to the base. This base was used for intelligence missions by Reaper drones as part of Operation Barkhane in the Sahel. In April 2022, after the redeployment of French military personnel in the Sahel, a "PC partenariat" was established there to plan joint operations. In 2018, the base hosted over 400 airmen and supported operations involving Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft, a C-135FR tanker aircraft from the Escadron de ravitaillement en vol et de transport stratégique 1/31 Bretagne, four General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones from the Escadron de drones 1/33 Belfort, and two C-160NG Transall aircraft from the Escadron de transport 2/64 Anjou. It also occasionally accommodated Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft from the Escadron de transport 1/61 Touraine. Following the coup d'état on July 26, 2023, the base was the target of demonstrations, leading to the complete withdrawal of French armed forces by December 22, 2023. The base reuses the mechanographic number of former French Air Base 101 Toulouse-Francazal, which was dissolved in 2009.

Location & Details

Map of Base aérienne projetée 101 Niamey
Coordinates13.4817°N, 2.1703°E
Elevation223 m (732 ft)
IATA codeNIM
ICAO codeDRRN
Runways
  • 09R/27L [Asphalt]
  • 09L/27R [Asphalt]
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