Al Anad Air Base, Airbase located in Lahij Governorate, Yemen
Al Anad Air Base is the largest military airfield in Yemen, located in Lahij Governorate in the southern part of the country. It has a long asphalt runway, large hangars, and radar stations built to handle a range of aircraft.
The base was built in 1976 by the Soviet Union for South Yemen and served as a key Cold War installation in the region. It changed hands several times, most notably during the 1994 civil war and in later conflicts over southern Yemen.
The name Al Anad refers to the location of the base within the Lahij region of southern Yemen. For the people living nearby, the site is closely tied to the shifting control over southern territories that has shaped daily life for generations.
Access to the base is restricted and requires official authorization since it is an active military installation. The surrounding terrain is flat and open, which gives a wide view of the site from the outside when conditions allow.
During the Cold War, Soviet Tu-95 aircraft flew from this base to carry out surveillance missions over the Indian Ocean, reaching as far as Diego Garcia. This made the base a key point for maritime monitoring at a time when few people would have associated Yemen with global naval strategy.
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