Muharraq Airfield (RAF Muharraq)

Muharraq Airfield is a military base located in Muharraq, Bahrain, adjacent to Bahrain International Airport.

The facility was established by the Royal Air Force as RAF Bahrain on 22 May 1943, operating as part of RAF Iraq Command. It was renamed RAF Muharraq in 1963. During British administration, the air base hosted multiple flying units, including No. 8, No. 30, No. 84, No. 105, No. 152, and No. 208 Squadrons, operating aircraft types such as the Consolidated Catalina, Hawker Hunter, Blackburn Beverley, Hawker Siddeley Andover, and Armstrong Whitworth Argosy. It also served as headquarters for HQ Air Forces Gulf. The RAF formally closed the facility on 15 December 1971 following Bahrain's declaration of independence.

The airfield was subsequently used by detachments of Vickers VC10 tankers from No. 101 Squadron RAF during the Gulf War, and again starting in May 1997 in support of Operation Jural and Operation Bolton over Iraq. The base served as a transit facility for United States and coalition troops deploying during the War in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021.

The United States Navy operates the base, managing logistics and supply movements through the adjacent airport. Base security is handled jointly by the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, and the Bahrain Ministry of Interior. The base is integrated into No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group and hosts mine countermeasures helicopter units patrolling the Persian Gulf, including detachments operating Sikorsky MH-53E Sea Dragons such as HM-15.