History
In 1945, it had three regiments of Tupolev Tu-2 bombers. 12th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment was briefly part of the division in 1959–60 at Ostrov, Pskov Oblast, while flying Tu-16s.
Components in 1990 according to Michael Holm: [1]
- Division Headquarters, Tartu
- 132nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment (Raadi Airfield, Tartu, Estonian SSSR) with Tu-22M3 and Tu-16K
- 402nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment (Balbasovo, Vitebsk Oblast) with Tu-22M3 and Tu-16K
- 840th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment (Soltsy-2, Novgorod Oblast) with Tu-22M3
Headquarters were located at: [1]
From 1987 to 1991, Dzhokhar Dudayev, who later became president of the self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, was the commander of the division.
The division's dispersal airfields included Ugolny Airport near Anadyr, Magadan Airport, and Tiksi. [2]
The Tupolev Tu-95 is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the Soviet Air Forces in 1956 and was first used in combat in 2015. It is expected to serve the Russian Aerospace Forces until at least 2040.
The Tupolev Tu-22M is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1960s. The bomber was reported as being designated Tu-26 by Western intelligence at one time. During the Cold War, the Tu-22M was operated by the Soviet Air Forces (VVS) in a missile carrier strategic bombing role, and by the Soviet Naval Aviation in a long-range maritime anti-shipping role.
Belaya is a significant Russian Aerospace Forces Long-Range Aviation base in Usolsky District, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located 18 kilometres (11 mi) north of Usolye-Sibirskoye and 85 kilometres (53 mi) northwest of Irkutsk. From 2009 it has sometimes been known as Srednii. It has significant ramp space and 38 bomber revetments.
Ukrainka is one of Russia's largest strategic Long Range Aviation bases in the Russian Far East. Located in Amur Oblast, Russia, 28 km north of Belogorsk, and 8 km north of the town of Seryshevo, it is a major nuclear bomber base, with large tarmacs and nearly 40 revetments.
Olenya has been a major Russian Navy reconnaissance base, located on the Kola Peninsula 92 km south of Murmansk. As of 2020, units at the base are subordinate to the Long-Range Aviation branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The base and its staff settlement, across Lake Permusozero from the city of Olenegorsk, are served by the Olenegorsk rail station. Olenya has served as the headquarters for 5 MRAD, and has hosted two reconnaissance regiments. Its 3500-meter runway is the longest on the Kola Peninsula, making it a key facility for intercontinental flights across the North Atlantic basin.
Raadi Airfield(ICAO: EETR) is a former air base in Estonia located in Raadi, 4 km (2.5 mi) northeast of Tartu. The land once belonged to Raadi Manor and is now the new site of the Estonian National Museum.
Soltsy-2 is an air base in Novgorod Oblast, Russia located 2 km north of Soltsy and 72 km southwest of Novgorod. It contains large aircraft revetments, with a separate compound of 9 hardened areas about 1 mile from the airfield.
Long-Range Aviation is a sub-branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces responsible for delivering long-range nuclear or conventional strikes by aircraft. The Russian Long Range Aviation and its now-dissolved Ukrainian counterpart were both previously part of the Soviet Air Forces, before it was split into the Air Forces of its many successor states, most notably the Russian Air Force and Ukrainian Air Force. Those branches were tasked with long-range bombardment of strategic targets with nuclear weapons.
Ostrov is a Russian Aerospace Forces air base in Pskov Oblast, Russia located 7 km southeast of Ostrov and 57 km south of Pskov. It was subordinate to the Baltic Fleet and was a nuclear bomber facility with 15 very large revetments on the east side of the airfield and about 30 small revetments on the west side. As many as 63 Tupolev Tu-16s were based here. A US intelligence analysis in 1984 identified a normal complement of 52 Tu-16 aircraft at Ostrov. The base hosted the Russian Navy's 444th Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Personnel Naval Aviation.
Shaykovka air base, also given variously as Kirov Shaykovka, Anisovo Gorod, Anisovo Gorodishche, Shaykovo, Shajkovka, Gorodische, Chaikovka, is an airbase of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Kaluga Oblast, Russia located 17 km north of Kirov, Kaluga Oblast. It is a large airfield with hangars and an extensive alert area for fighters. Appears the runway overrun was being built to extend the runway to 3000 m. In 2000, Tupolev Tu-160, Tupolev Tu-95MS, and Tupolev Tu-22M3 aircraft operated out of this base during a training exercise. The Natural Resources Defense Council listed the base as a nuclear site in a study.
Dyagilevo is a military air base in Ryazan Oblast, Russia, 3 km west of Ryazan. It serves as a training center for Russia's strategic bomber force.
Engels-2 is a strategic bomber military airbase in Russia located 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) east of Saratov. Engels is a major bomber operations base, and is Russia's sole operating location for the Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber. The base has a 3,500-metre (11,500 ft) runway and about 10 large revetments. It is named after the nearby city of Engels, which is named after the Communist philosopher, Friedrich Engels.
Ozerne is an air base of the Ukrainian Air Force located near Ozerne, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine.
Zavitinsk is an air base in Amur Oblast, Russia, located 9 km northeast of Zavitinsk. It was a major nuclear bomber base of the Long Range Aviation. A revetment area exists on the far side of the runway with 18 large stands.
The 37th Air Army of the High Supreme Command was the strategic bomber force of the Russian Air Force from 1998 to 2009. It was equipped with Tupolev Tu-95MS and Tu-160 armed with nuclear cruise missiles, and the intermediate range Tu-22M3 bombers.
The 11th Red Banner Air and Air Defence Forces Army is a formation of the Russian Aerospace Forces, located in the Russian Far East, whose zone of responsibility covers the Eastern Military District. The 11th Army Air Force and Air Defense Army was reformed within the Eastern Military District on 14 August 2015.
The 22nd Guards Donbas Red Banner Heavy Bomber Aviation Division is a division of the Russian Aerospace Force's Long-Range Aviation branch having previously been a Soviet Air Forces formation. It was a Long Range Aviation division active from 1942 to 2008–9. Included in the 37th Air Army High Command. Commander of the division was Major General Alexander Blazhenko. It saw illustrious service during the Second World War, including supply of the Red Army in the Demyansk Pocket and the bombing of Berlin.
Vozdvizhenka is an air base in Primorsky Krai located close to the village of Vozdvizhenka. This base was dedicated to Pacific heavy long-range bomber fleet, housing the 444th Berlin Order of Kutuzov 3rd degree and Alexander Nevsky Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, part of the 326th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, 37th Air Army.
Babruysk Air Base is a military airfield of the Air and Air Defence Force of Belarus, located in the south-western outskirts of Babruysk (Bobruisk), Belarus. The 83rd Separate Order of the Red Star Engineer-Aerodrome Regiment is at the base, which also functions as a spare airfield. It used to be a Soviet Long-Range Aviation air base.
The Long Range Aviation Group ; abbr. AGDA / АГДА), was a military organisation, subordinate to the Central High Command of the Ukrainian Air Force, which included the long-range aircraft of Ukraine. Ukrainian Long Range Aviation was disbanded in 2007.
Soviet Union (1943–1991)
Russia (1992–present)
Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class
