| Baledogle Airfield | |
|---|---|
| Lower Shabelle, Somalia | |
 | |
  Baledogle Airfield Location in Somalia | |
| Coordinates | 2°40′20″N 44°47′5″E / 2.67222°N 44.78472°E |
| Type | Air force base |
| Airfield information | |
| Elevation | 298 ft (91 m) AMSL |
Baledogle Airfield, also called Wanlaweyn Airstrip, is the largest military air base in Somalia, about 90 kilometers northwest of the capital, Mogadishu. The airfield was constructed in the 1970s for the Somali Air Force with assistance of the Soviet Union. It was later expanded on and modernized by the United States during the 2010s.[1]
Baledogle Airfield has played a significant role in various conflicts and military operations in the region, as its strategic facilities and location have made it a key asset. Since the onset of the Somali Civil War in 1991, Baledogle Airfield has been host to factions and militaries including the Somali National Alliance, Somali National Front, the United States Armed Forces, UNOSOM II, the Islamic Courts Union, the Ethiopian National Defence Forces, Al-Shabaab, the African Union Mission to Somalia and the Somali National Army.
Baledogle Airfield is primarily used by the United States, AMISOM and the Somali National Army as a base for conducting counterinsurgency and drone operations in the country.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Nina J. (2002). Somalia : issues, history and bibliography. New York: Nova Science Publ. p. 28. ISBN 1590332652.