Before - parking of helicopters on edge of active taxiways. Photo 3: After - Tactical helicopter parking ramp. (USACE Photo by Ray Martin)

Tikrit Iraq - Repairs and renovations to the Balad Airfield are paving the way to the future of Iraq.

In four months, over 800 cubic meters of concrete have been placed and over 35 miles of conduit and conductors have been laid. By the time all the repairs and renovations to the Balad Airbase runway are complete, more than 66,000 cubic meters of concrete will be placed. Upgrades to the airfield include pavement repairs on one of the two runways, the installation of new airfield lighting, helicopter alert ramp, cargo marshalling area, hot cargo pad, and a munitions transport road. The on-going challenge of this airfield repair is to complete the work without disrupting airfield operations.

Frank Scopa, the Area Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said of the Balad repairs and renovations, “The primary basis for this work is to make the airfield a safer facility to operate for aircrews and ground personnel. The second reason is to bring sections of the airfield up to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for operations. The increased amount of air traffic at Balad and the larger size and weight of aircraft has caused the existing substandard concrete to fail. This runway repair work will allow a higher tempo of operations and also give the airfield redundancy for additional safety.”

Major Matt Jefson, of the United States Air Force’s 332nd Civil Engineer Squadron, explained, “These projects are part of the 332 Air Expeditionary Wing’s (AEW) master plan to transform Balad from a bare base to an expeditionary air base, normalizing airfield operations.”

This former Saddam-era Air Force base was the home to tactical fighters. It is currently being used by the Coalition Forces as a logistics supply base and to service heavy-lift aircraft. The one-foot thick concrete of the two main runways was not designed to receive the volume of air traffic and weight of the current aircraft flying in and out each day. The cracks and potholes were forming in the deck from the heavy wear. The initial fix was to patch them, but these didn’t hold up satisfactorily and needed a permanent repair. Additionally, one of the runways needed a more permanent fix for two bomb craters that had been temporarily repaired several years ago.

The solution was to remove and replace 1,067 linear meters of existing pavement along the keel of the runway. The keel is the center section of runway and the section being replaced is a 15-meter wide strip along each side of the centerline.

One runway had to be shut down. The concrete in the keel was removed together with the sub-material. The sub-material was processed through screeners and was reused. The clay dirt of this former low land marsh was ideal base material and achieved 96 percent compaction in a fraction of the time it would have taken with many other choices of fill materials. The new concrete is 22 inches thick and can be placed at a rate of 300 linear meters each night. It will be fully cured 30 days after being placed and will be able to accept the increased heavy-lift aircraft.

Also in progress is the replacement of the airfield lighting system. There is a need to bring it up to ICAO airfield lighting standards. This will allow the Combined Forces Air Component Command (CFACC) to certify Balad Air Base as a strategic Aerial Port of Debarkation (APOD).

The old lighting system is not operational and the temporary tactical lighting system that is in use is not sufficient for ongoing operations. The extreme weather and sandstorms along with the inadequate lighting system create an unsafe environment, endangering aircraft and personnel. The new system being installed includes approach lights; threshold lights; runway edge lights for both runways; precision approach path indicators (PAPIs); illuminated guidance signage; illuminated distance markers; illuminated wind cones; rotating beacon; airfield lighting controls; obstruction lighting; and a lighting vault facility. Again the on-going challenge is to install these systems while keeping operations going.

Included in these renovations are a contingency helicopter alert ramp and a hot cargo pad. At the moment, there is neither adequate existing ramp space for alert missions nor areas that are safe enough to load and unload hazardous and explosive cargo.

Balad air base was not designed for many of the tasks it now handles, such as the tactical helicopter alert missions that are now taking place. Alert missions are staffed by personnel who must be ready to go on a moments notice. This requires those crews to bed down near their aircraft so they can make a beeline directly to their aircraft when called to go. Currently these alert crews have to cross active flight lines. This makes these operations dangerous even before the crew and aircraft leaves secure airspace. What is currently being used as an alert ramp is undersized and needs to be relocated. The new ramp currently being constructed will provide for the needs of these missions and the safety of the crews.

Hot cargo includes munitions and other hazardous materials. Handling hot cargo needs to be accomplished away from other flight operations. Since Balad is under the constant threat of rocket attack, a hit on a cargo aircraft loaded with explosives and munitions would likely cause numerous fatalities as well as damage to other aircraft, facilities and equipment. The potential for injury or death is very real. Currently the handling of hot cargo is being done on the ramp farthest from other existing operations. However, the hot cargo area is being constructed in further away from the main facilities and in a much safer location.

Once the hot cargo pad is finished being built, a paved road leading to the munitions storage pad will then be built to ensure that the road is foreign object debris-free (FOD). This is extremely important because FOD can cause damage to airplanes or people by cutting tires; ingested into engines; or be thrown by a jet blast causing damage to other airplanes and injuries to people. For this reason, road sweepers clean the runways and surrounding areas around the clock. At the moment, gravel roads have been laid through the infield.

When munitions vehicles are dispatched to the aircraft, they have to drive down the gravel roads and pick up large amounts of FOD. This means that the drivers have to stop and get out of their vehicles to check all the tires and other surfaces under their vehicle before they can cross an active runway. A paved road will reduce FOD in the munitions area and will better support loaded vehicles transporting munitions to and from the storage pads.

Loading and unloading cargo at Balad is not limited to just hazardous materials and munitions. There is a need for an expanded cargo marshalling area to load and unload cargo other than explosives. Construction of a concrete paved area and covered storage is planned to support cargo awaiting transportation into and out of Balad. Currently cargo is unloaded on a parking ramp within the runway clear zone, however access is limited. The pavement designed for the new marshalling area is 129,000 SM of concrete that will support heavy tractor trailers and is sized for loading and unloading, and maneuvering in the area. Office and supply storage as well as lighting and fencing are included. The area will include a weigh station to prepare cargo for shipment out of Balad.

Completed improvements at the airfield include strategic and a tactical ramps. These are large concrete pads built away from the active runways on which to park aircraft. The tactical ramp is used to park helicopters used in a variety tactical missions. The strategic ramp is used to park large cargo carrying fixed wing aircraft. These ramps have reduced congestion and eased pressure on the active taxiways which were being used for these activities before the ramps were built.

These renovations and improvements of the airbase will provide better support to the movement of ground forces and their equipment within Iraq. These upgrades will enhance the support of Operation Iraqi Freedom missions and will ultimately benefit the citizens of Iraq by providing significant improvements to Iraq’s infrastructure.

“Projects of this magnitude and scale do not just happen, they are orchestrated,” said James Widmer, the project engineer for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. “The team at Balad works together in an organized and professional manner to ensure these projects are a success. The team includes Air Force Security Forces, Air Field Operations, the 332nd Civil Engineer Squadron, the contractor (KBR/Yuksel), and the Corps of Engineers. This work is exemplified in the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing’s motto, ‘More... Better... Faster - Now!’”

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