Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed Air Base Explained

Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed Air Base is a Tunisian Air Force base located approximately 7 km west of Menzel Abderahman, and 9 km west-southwest of Bizerte.

Units stationed at the base are:

• No. 11 Squadron

• No. 15 Squadron

Fighter squadron, Northrop F-5 Tiger/TigerII

• No. 21 Squadron

World War II

During World War II it was a German air base until 16 November 1942 when it was the target of an American bombing raid led by Theodore Van Kirk as a threat to Operation Torch.

It was then used by the United States Army Air Forces Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign. It was known as Bizerte Airfield. Several Allied units used the base in 1943. It was a heavy bomber airfield used by B-17 Flying Fortress strategic bombers of the 2d Bombardment Group, between 2 and 9 December 1943. There was a major air depot co-located at Sidi Ahmed.

Post-World War II

AFRICOM secretly operates a drone base at Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed Air Base.^{[1] [2]}

External links

• Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. .
• Book: Maurer, Maurer. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II. 1969. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180455/http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf . dead . December 20, 2016 . reprint. 1982. Office of Air Force History. Washington, DC. 0-405-12194-6. 72556. 70605402.
• Tunisian Air Force order of battle

Notes and References

1. Web site: U.S. has secretly expanded its global network of drone bases to North Africa. The Washington Post. 26 October 2016.
2. Web site: America Is Quietly Expanding Its War in Tunisia. The National Interest. 18 September 2018.