Bagram Airbase, also known as Bagram Airfield, is one of the most significant military installations in Afghanistan’s modern history. Located about 50 kilometers north of Kabul in Parwan Province, it evolved from a Soviet-era project into the epicenter of foreign military operations in Afghanistan, symbolizing power, control, and strategic dominance for decades.



The origins of Bagram trace back to the 1950s, when Afghanistan, with Soviet assistance, began developing it into a modern airfield. Its importance skyrocketed during the Soviet invasion of 1979, when it became Moscow’s principal hub for air operations. With long runways, hangars, and maintenance facilities, Bagram enabled the Soviets to launch bombing runs, provide air support, and sustain supply lines across Afghanistan. By the mid-1980s, it housed thousands of personnel and aircraft, making it the centerpiece of the Soviet campaign.

Following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, the base's importance declined, but it remained contested. During the Afghan civil war of the 1990s, control of Bagram meant control of supply lines and a staging ground for operations toward Kabul. By the late 1990s, under the Taliban, much of the facility was in ruins.

The September 11 attacks in 2001 and the subsequent U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan brought Bagram back into global focus. Seized and rapidly expanded by coalition forces, it became the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan and a sprawling “military city.”

Equipped with two long runways capable of handling heavy aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster III, fuel depots, fortified command centers, and extensive troop facilities, Bagram supported nearly every aspect of U.S. and NATO operations. It served as:

The logistics hub for moving supplies and reinforcements across Afghanistan’s difficult terrain. The operational center for fighter jets, drones, reconnaissance aircraft, and helicopters. A medical and intelligence hub, with facilities for evacuation, analysis, and Afghan troop training. A detention site, infamous as the Parwan Detention Facility, or the “Afghan Guantanamo,” which housed insurgent leaders and drew global criticism for alleged harsh interrogation practices. For two decades, Bagram was the backbone of coalition operations and the cornerstone of Kabul’s defense.

In July 2021, U.S. forces vacated Bagram under the cover of night, handing it over to Afghan authorities. The sudden exit left behind equipment and eroded Afghan military morale. When the Afghan government collapsed in August 2021, the Taliban swiftly captured the base, marking the symbolic end of America’s longest war.

Bagram’s importance lies in its geography. Situated on a plateau near Kabul, it offered secure access to central Afghanistan while serving as a launchpad for power projection across the country. Its long runways, vast storage, and surveillance systems allowed foreign forces to sustain operations in a landlocked nation with rugged mountains and limited infrastructure. Beyond Afghanistan, Bagram’s location gave it broader strategic value. Its proximity to China, Iran, Pakistan, and Central Asia made it a potential pressure point in great-power competition.

On 18 September 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump reignited global debate when he declared at a press conference with the British Prime Minister: “We want to take Bagram back. They want a lot from us, and it is only an hour away from China’s nuclear site.”

The statement signaled more than political posturing—it highlighted Washington’s aim to reassert geopolitical dominance, driven by three factors: China’s rising power and influence in Afghanistan, Afghanistan’s vast untapped mineral resources critical for the global energy transition, and persistent instability in the Middle East, where control of strategic positions remains vital to U.S. interests.

Bagram Airbase is more than a relic of past wars—it is a symbol of Afghanistan’s turbulent history and a pivot in the wider contest for global influence. Whether under Soviet, U.S., Taliban, or potentially new control, its future role will continue to shape the geopolitics of South and Central Asia.

 You can also check aerial footage of Bagram Airbase here:- 

https://www.airvuz.com/video/Bagram-Airfield-Aerial-View---Afghanistan?id=642e74035e89760008074c9c

(The copyright of the footage belongs to the original video uploader)