A new military strategy was established in the Middle East after the collapse of the U.S.-Iran relationship. Oman’s proximity to Iran across the narrow Strait of Hormuz to the north preempted the need for a much-improved airbase in Oman, the only Middle Eastern country at the time that allowed Western military presence on their soil.
Dillingham Construction International Inc. (DCII) built a permanent military airbase on Oman’s Masirah Island, 15 miles from Oman’s eastern coast in the Arabian Sea. This military airbase resulted in Oman having a well-established military facility in the Arabian Sea and the United States and NATO having a far-reaching military facility available for use during emergencies when troops operating as part of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force are operating in the region.