Shaykh Mazhar Air Base (As Suwayrah Air Base)

Shaykh Mazhar Air Base, currently designated As Suwayrah Air Base (قاعدة الصويرة), is located in the Wasit Governorate, 46 kilometers southwest of Baghdad and 13 kilometers west of Al-Suwaira. Established in the mid-1970s under the “Super-Base” construction program, the facility was operational by the early 1980s. During the Iran-Iraq War, the base hosted squadrons of MiG-21 and MiG-23 fighters used in the defense of Baghdad. During the 1990s, the installation maintained units of Shenyang F-7 and MiG-23 aircraft and was situated within a concentration of military installations and ammunition depots. Following engagement in Operation Desert Storm, the base was abandoned by the Iraqi Air Force in late February 1991. Coalition forces seized the facility in 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom, where it was designated Camp Zulu. The site was transferred to the Iraqi Army on August 21, 2005.

Following the procurement of KAI T-50 Golden Eagle aircraft, the Iraqi Air Force restored the facility. Since October 2023, the installation has hosted the Iraqi Air Force College and its Flying Training Wing. The base houses several operational units: the 202nd Training Squadron operates Cessna 172S and Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft; the 203rd Training Squadron operates T-6A Texan II trainers; the 204th Training Squadron operates T-50IQ Golden Eagles; and the 205th Training Squadron operates MFI-395 Super Mushshak aircraft.