ERITREAN AIR ASSETS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000278 E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2019 TAGS: MOPS EAIR PINR PGOV ER SUBJECT: ERITREAN AIR ASSETS Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Embassy Asmara is aware of nine former or current airports in Eritrea, based on unclassified imagery or personal observation. Four airports have long concrete runways capable of handling jet aircraft. Only Asmara airport has military aircraft visible; over half of the 43 aircraft visible there appear to be inoperable. Apparently operational first-line aircraft include five MiG-29s and one Su-27. Para 2 provides a brief description of the nine airports, while Para 3 details military aircraft visible (via unclassified early 2009 imagery) at Asmara International Airport. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Eritrea's Airports -------------- For each of the nine former or current airports that Post is aware of, coordinates are given in degrees, minutes, and seconds. Runway lengths are approximate. ¶A. Asmara -------------- Location: 15-17-40N, 38-55-00E Runways: concrete, shaped like the number 7 Note: Military aircraft cluster around the 6,000' runway at the top of the 7, while general aviation aircraft use the 11,000' runway comprising the stem of the 7. ¶B. Assab -------------- Location: 13-04-17N, 42-38-43E Runway: concrete, 11,400' ¶C. Dahlak Kebir Island -------------- Location: 15-45-26N, 39-58-14E Runway: gravel, 9,500' Note: This airstrip was supposedly built during the Ethiopian period, possibly to service Soviet submarines at a semi-circular bay just NE of the airstrip. Qatari interests are surfacing and lengthening the runway to cater to a Qatari luxury resort being built on the island. ¶D. Gura -------------- Location: 15-01-20N, 39-02-22E Runway: crumbling asphalt, 9,300' Note: Built as an Italian air force base for the invasion of Ethiopia, during WWII Douglas Aircraft Company established the Gura Air Depot there to repair and modify allied aircraft. After WWII an annex of the USG's Kagnew Station was established 800 yards SE of the runway. Today the airport is not used; livestock and utility lines and poles cross it. Eritrean Defense Forces occupy the former Kagnew annex. ¶E. Keren -------------- Location: 15-47-06N, 38-25-30E Runway: dirt, 2,700' Note: Probably not usable. ¶F. Massawa -------------- Location: 15-40-11N, 39-22-14E Runway: concrete, 11,700' Note: Although called "Massawa International Airport," it has no scheduled civilian flights. Oddly, a life-sized four-engine airliner appears to be painted on the tarmac in front of the terminal. A decoy? ¶G. Nakfa -------------- Location: 16-40-25N, 38-30-20E Runway: gravel, 6,000' Note: Site of an epic Eritrean victory in the 30-year war for independence, cadre of the PFDJ (the ruling party) now attend patriotic training sessions at Nakfa. ¶H. Sawa -------------- Location: 15-42-00N, 36-58-43E Runway: concrete, 10,400' Note: Sawa camp includes training facilities for all Eritrean 12th graders, who must attend a year of military and academic training there to graduate from high school. Immediately after graduation almost all are conscripted into open-ended National Service. Eritrean VIPs normally attend the graduation. Nevsun, the Canadian mining company, will probably use the Sawa airport to fly gold from its Bisha mine (38 miles ESE of Sawa) to Switzerland beginning in 2010. ¶I. Tesenei -------------- Location: 15-06-13N, 36-40-56E Runway: gravel, 7,400' ¶3. (C) MILITARY AIRCRAFT VISIBLE AT ASMARA AIRPORT -------------- -------------- 43 rotary or fixed-winged aircraft are visible in the military area of Asmara International Airport, i.e., the "top of the 7." Some of these are wrecks probably left over from the Ethiopian period or more modern damaged aircraft kept for salvage. Non-hardened hanger space may house five or more additional aircraft. Roofless earthen revetments protect seven aircraft, some of which may not be operational. Post has identified at least three hardened hangers with barrel-shaped concrete roofs and banked earth walls. Two of these flank the bottom of the 7's stem, at least one of which contains a modern fighter. Post (which lacks a DAO or other military personnel) provides the following description or estimate of type, number, and apparent status of aircraft visible at Asmara. Type/Description - Number - Apparent Status -------------- -- MiG-29; 5; operational -- Su-27; 1; operational -- L-90 Redigo; 6; operational -- Mi-24; 2; operational -- 5-bladed helicopter (Mi-24?); 1; possibly operational -- 4-bladed helicopter (Bell-412?); 1; operational -- helicopter fuselage; 3; junked -- twin-engine turboprop transport; 1; operational -- Harbin Y-12 (?); 1; probably inoperable -- small trainer/observer; 2; at least one operational -- medium-sized, single-engine turboprop; 1; operational -- F-5 (?); 2; one scrapped, one probably inoperable -- old Aermacchi MB type (?); 4; scrapped -- MiG-21; 6; 3 scrapped; 3 probably inoperable -- MiG-17; 4; scrapped -- MiG-23; 2; scrapped -- twin-boom transport; 1; scrapped MCMULLEN