Ali Al Salem Air Base

Ali Al Salem Air Base is a military installation owned by the Kuwaiti government, located approximately 37 kilometers from the Iraqi border in western Kuwait. Nicknamed "The Rock" due to its elevated position above the surrounding desert plains, the base is jointly operated by the Kuwait Air Force and the United States Air Force, with the principal American unit being the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. The Kuwait Air Force Flight Training School is also located on the base, and the facility has undergone significant expansion in recent years, including the addition of a new runway and hangar facilities to support a fleet of Eurofighter jets delivered to the Kuwait Air Force around 2020.

The base holds a particularly sobering place in Kuwaiti history, as it was the last air base to fall during Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, with Kuwaiti defenders suffering grave losses before being overrun. Following liberation, Ali Al Salem was rebuilt into a frontline coalition hub, hosting U.S., British, and Marine Corps forces during Operation Southern Watch, Operation Desert Fox, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In late February 2026, the base was targeted by a series of Iranian ballistic missiles amid the broader regional conflict involving U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Kuwaiti air defense forces successfully intercepted the incoming missiles, though falling debris caused injuries to three Kuwaiti soldiers, prompting a visit to the injured by Kuwait's Minister of Defense.