The U.S. Space Forces – Central Command is advancing operations at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar with the construction of a campus at the base. The campus is meant to the base’s space operations and capabilities in the Middle East, according to Friday’s U.S. Space Force announcement of the facility’s groundbreaking.
The SPACECENT campus will host state-of-the-art equipment for joint support on space-related activities at Al Udeid, USSF said. The American forces at the base include elements from the U.S. Air Forces Central Command and the Combined Air and Space Operations Center. The United States and Qatar agreed in January 2024 to extend U.S. military presence at the base for another 10 years.
Collaborative Foundation in the Middle East
Col. Frank Brooks, Space Forces Central Command deputy, said at the campus’ recent groundbreaking ceremony that the complex will be “a beacon for the vital space systems and operations” of U.S. CENTCOM’s mission to promote security and partnership across the Middle East. He added that in establishing the new facility, the United States and Qatar are demonstrating an “ever-growing partnership” that began in the 1990s, noting that the Al Udeid Air Base has been “a foundation for collaboration and mutual respect.”
In 2018, Qatar launched a $1.8 billion project to upgrade the base, the biggest facility that U.S. military forces use in the Middle East. The base expansion was reported as part of Qatar’s cooperation with the United States in fighting terrorism.
In another cooperative effort, U.S. Space Command entered into a space situational awareness data sharing agreement with the Qatar Armed Forces in October 2023.