UAE Nears Completion of Secret Military Base at Somaliland’s Berbera Airport

The United Arab Emirates is nearing the completion of a clandestine military facility at Somaliland’s Berbera Airport following a major 10-month expansion effort.

The significant overhaul transforms the civilian airfield into a strategic regional outpost intended for joint use by Abu Dhabi, Washington, and Tel Aviv.

Access to the airport has been strictly prohibited, with the main approach road entirely severed.

Strategic Red Sea Posture

Situated on the Gulf of Aden near the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, the site offers a critical vantage point over the southern Red Sea.

The expansion coincides with Israel’s unprecedented recognition of Somaliland’s independence in December 2025.

The geopolitical maneuver aims to secure a forward operating position near Yemen, where Houthi forces initiated hostilities against Israel in late March.

Abu Dhabi is spearheading the development under a 2017 defense pact with the unrecognized republic.

Underground Fortifications

Satellite imagery reveals extensive earthworks and structural fortifications south of the four-kilometer, Soviet-built runway. Excavation crews dug 18 deep trenches in the sandy terrain between October 2025 and March.

Shipping containers were placed inside these cavities before being buried. "These underground hangars dug on the base correspond to ammunition storage infrastructure or fuel tanks," a European security source confirmed to Le Monde back in April.

Further north, a separate storage complex originally erected in 2023 has doubled its capacity.

The expanded site now features 20 bermed container bays and three large warehouses. An additional weapons storage area containing 14 semi-buried structures was also recently completed.

Air Defense Infrastructure

New surface-to-air missile (SAM) installations and radar positions now encircle the perimeter.

One anti-aircraft site features six revetted bays connected by an internal road network, according to Rich Tedd.

The northernmost revetment shelters a compact rectangular radar antenna, while the adjacent positions are prepared for missile launchers and support vehicles.

Over 10 newly erected observation posts, fortified by defensive barriers, secure the airfield boundary.

An International Institute for Strategic Studies analysis corroborated that raised platforms built last October signal an impending air defense deployment.

The identified capabilities parallel those at the Emirati-owned Bossasso airport in neighboring Puntland, which deployed an Israeli-made ELM-2084 radar in March 2025.

Two additional positions at Berbera appear prepped for surveillance radars or drone ground control stations.

Drone and Aviation Upgrades

The main apron has undergone a significant operational upgrade. Construction crews demolished outdated structures to erect two expansive hangars tailored for unmanned aerial vehicles and fixed-wing aircraft.

A third hangar is undergoing refurbishment, while the expanded apron is now lined with new military barriers.

An adjacent military compound currently holds over 100 shipping containers, suspected of housing drone hardware and logistical supplies.

The main military compound has also seen major fortifications. Ten existing bunkers received new blast barriers, while a massive subterranean structure remains under active construction.

An anonymous airport employee verified that Abu Dhabi is managing the construction on behalf of its American and Israeli partners.

Geopolitical Realignment

The Pentagon views Berbera as a highly viable alternative to Djibouti. The U.S. presence in Djibouti is complicated by proximity to a Chinese military base and local restrictions preventing strikes on Yemeni territory.

Somaliland appears willing to compromise on strike authorizations in exchange for diplomatic recognition from Washington.

AFRICOM delegations regularly visit the Berbera site, including a December 2025 inspection led by General Dagvin Anderson.

Israeli military delegations have also frequented Berbera, holding direct talks with the Somaliland army chief of staff.

Somaliland intelligence personnel simultaneously completed covert training sessions in Tel Aviv.

"Israel has a lot to offer Somaliland... a military deployment is on the table," stated Shiri Fein-Grossman, director of the Israel-Africa Relations Institute.