Afrikanda (air base)

Last updated
Afrikanda
Flag of the Russian Air Force.svg
Afrikanda, Murmansk Oblast in Russia
Afrikanda.jpg
Outline Map of Murmansk region.svg
Red pog.svg
Afrikanda
Shown within Murmansk Oblast
Russia administrative location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Afrikanda
Afrikanda (Russia)
Coordinates 67°27′24″N032°47′12″E / 67.45667°N 32.78667°E / 67.45667; 32.78667
TypeAir Base
Site information
Owner Ministry of Defence
Operator Russian Air Force
Site history
In useUnknown - 2000 (2000)
Airfield information
Identifiers ICAO: XLMF
Elevation154 metres (505 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
10/28  Concrete

Afrikanda is a former military air base in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located just north of the village of the same name. Though it is built for fighter operations with 30 revetments, it has largely served the interceptor aircraft role.

Contents

Western intelligence services reported jet fighters operating from Afrikanda as early as 1953. [1] From 1953, the 431st Fighter Aviation Regiment (431 IAP) was stationed at the base, which became the 431 Regiment PVO in 1960. From 1960 the regiment was part of the 21st Air Defence Corps. [2] It served through the whole Cold War; in 1978 a Sukhoi Su-15 was launched from Afrikanda to intercept Korean Air Flight 902, a Boeing 707 which was later forcefully landed; and in 1990, according to Conventional Forces in Europe data exchanges, it had 39 Sukhoi Su-15TM interceptor aircraft. In September 1993 it was merged with the 641 Guards IAP and became the 470th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. The regiment also operated a number of Su-27 aircraft.

The 470 Guards IAP disbanded on 30 November 2000 and the base was closed. [3] [4] [5]

History

During World War II

On June 26, 1941, the first known air victory was won over the airfield 147th Fighter Aviation Regiment in World War II (the regiment was based at the airfield Murmashi): senior lieutenant L.I. Ivanov, piloting I-15bis, shot down a German bomber in an air battle near the Afrikanod airfield, Heinkel He 111. [6] [ full citation needed ]

In the future, the airfield was used by combat aircraft Karelian Front. From June 1 to July 1, 1942, the 835th Fighter Aviation Regiment was based at the airfield on Hawker Hurricane (“Hurricane”) fighters. Also at the aerodrome from 1941 to November 10, 1943, 609th Fighter Aviation Regiment was based on the Hurricane and LaGG-3 fighter planes. [6]

In 1943, the 137th short-range aviation regiment was based at the airfield from 258th mixed aviation division on airplanes Boston-3, for exemplary performance of command assignments renamed 114th Guards Middle Bomb Aviation Regiment. [7]

In March 1944, units of the operational group 8th long-range air corps were based on the airfield: operational group 36th long-range aviation division actions and 455th long-range air regiment 48th long-range aviation division on aircraft IL-4. [8]

From April to June 1944, the 668th Assault Aviation Regiment was based at IL-2 at the airfield.

Post-war period

From August 1945 to July 1946, the 668th cap continued to be based on IL-2 aircraft at the aerodrome.

In the period from October 1953 to September 1993, 431st Fighter Aviation Regiment was based on the airfield, Armaments MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19 and Su-15TM.

From 1954 to 1960, a bomber aviation regiment (military unit No. 32812), one of the regiments 184th bomber aviation division was also based at this airfield 22nd Air Army. The regiment was armed with a front-line jet bomber IL-28.

In 1993 from the airfield Rogachevo was translated 641st Guards Vilna Order Kutuzov Fighter Aviation Regiment.

Both regiments were merged into one, which in September 1993 received the name of the 470th Guards Vilna Order of Kutuzov Fighter Aviation Regiment. [9] In service with the 470th Guards. Iap consisted fighter Su-27.

September 1, 2001 and the 470th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment was disbanded. [6] [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Naval Aviation</span> Air arm of the Russian Navy

The Russian Naval Aviation is the air arm of the Russian Navy, a successor of Soviet Naval Aviation. The Russian Navy is divided into four fleets and one flotilla: Northern Fleet, Pacific Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea Fleet, and Caspian Flotilla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petrozavodsk Airport</span> Airport in Russia

Petrozavodsk Airport is a joint civil-military airport in Russia located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) northwest of Petrozavodsk in Besovets, Shuya Rural Settlement (municipality). It services small airliners. It is a minor airfield with 12 parking stands and a small amount of tarmac space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rogachevo (air base)</span> Military airport in Novaya Zemlya, Russia

Rogachevo is a military air base on Novaya Zemlya, Russia located near the settlement of Rogachevo, 9 km northeast of Belushya Guba. It was originally used as a staging base for intercontinental Long Range Aviation bomber flights. The base developed an interceptor role during the 1960s, partly to deter Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird operations in the Arctic region.

Alakurtti Air Base is a former naval air base in Murmansk Oblast, Russia located 3 km northwest of Alakurtti. It was serviced by the 4th Naval Bomber Regiment and 485 OVP flying.

Poduzhemye is a former air base in Karelia, Russia located 16 km west of Kem.

Smirnykh is an abandoned Russian Air Force airbase in Sakhalin, Russia located 2 km east of the village of the same name. It appeared in June 1966 KH-7 imagery with a runway length of 2,000 m. It was expanded sometime after this to 2,500 m with a new extension of revetments added.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ostrov (air base)</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borisovsky Khotilovo (air base)</span>

Borisovsky Khotilovo is an air base in Tver Oblast, Russia located 24 km south of the town of Bologoye. It is an interceptor base with three groups of fan revetments and is home to 790 IAP flying 38 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 aircraft during the Cold War and Mikoyan MiG-31s through the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaiņode Air Base</span> Former USSR air base

Vaiņode is a former USSR air base in Latvia, located 31 kilometres (19 mi) south of Skrunda. It was abandoned in 1993. It is only 4 kilometres (2 mi) from the border with Lithuania.

Kansk-Dalny is an air base in Russia located 9 km south of Kansk. It is a fighter base with about 10 remote revetments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kubinka (air base)</span> Airport in Russia

Kubinka is an air base in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located 5 km (3.1 mi) northwest of Kubinka. In close proximity to Moscow, the Kubinka facility is generally home to the best squadrons of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Chernyakhovsk Air Base is a military air base of the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet, located 4 km south-west of the city of Chernyakhovsk in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. It is a medium-sized interceptor airfield, listed as a nuclear bomber base by a Natural Resources Defense Council study.

Orlovka was an airbase of the Soviet Air Defence Forces in Amur Oblast, Russia located 8 km north of Vernoye, in the Svobodny, Amur Oblast area. It is close to Ukrainka, a Long Range Aviation strategic bomber base. In the 1960s Orlovka was a deployment and dispersal airfield, then was upgraded in the early 1970s following an increase in military forces near the Chinese border after the Sino-Soviet split. Orlovka is a hardened airfield with a large central tarmac area.

Bezrechnaya-2 was an interceptor aircraft base in Chita Oblast, Russia. It featured a linear ramp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Komsomolsk-on-Amur Airport</span> Airport in Russia

Khurba Airport is an air base in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia 17 kilometres (11 mi) south of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. This medium-sized base has considerable tarmac space and an extended area of revetments. It handles medium-sized airliners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dzyomgi Airport</span> Airport in Komsomolsk-na-Amure

Dzyomgi Airport is an air base in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, located 8 kilometres (5 mi) northeast of Komsomolsk-na-Amure. Dzyomgi is Komsomolsk-na-Amure's northeast side airport, handling small airliner traffic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Air and Air Defence Forces Army</span> Military unit

The 6th Red Banner Leningrad Army of Air and Air Defence Forces is an Air Army of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

The 470th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment was a regiment of the Russian Air Force. It drew much of its traditions and history from the previous 169th Fighter Aviation Regiment and the 63rd Guards Vilensky Order of Kutuzov Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Soviet Air Forces. These two regiments were active during the Second World War and the post-war period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalinka Airfield</span> Russian airfield

Kalinka Airfield is a civilian airfield located in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia located 23 km east of Khabarovsk near the town of Kalinka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">831st Tactical Aviation Brigade (Ukraine)</span> Military unit

The 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade is a formation of the Ukrainian Air Force. Based at Myrhorod Air Base, Poltava Oblast, the unit operates the Sukhoi Su-27 and Aero L-39M1.

References

  1. ↑ AIR ACTIVITY OVER ZASHEYEK, CIA-RDP80-00810A006600360014-8, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC, 10 September 1954.
  2. ↑ http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20forces/regiment/iap/431iap.htm%5B%5D
  3. ↑ Staalesen, Atle (September 9, 2020). "Next to abandoned Air Force base could come mine for rare earth minerals". The Barents Observer.
  4. ↑ Holm, Michael. "Soviet Armed Forces 1945-91".
  5. ↑ Fighterbomber on Telegram
  6. 1 2 3 All of Stalin 59, 125
  7. ↑ Headquarters 258 garden (17 October 1943). "Magazine fighting 258 garden". TsAMO RF. MO RF. Retrieved 2017-01-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ Headquarters of the 8th ac dd (5 March 1944). "Plan of hostilities 8 AK DD in the interests of the Karelian Front for March 1944". Electronic resource "Memory of the People". TsAMO RF. Retrieved 2017-01-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Abbr. 470th Guards. iap
  10. ↑ 470th Guards Vilensky Order of Kutuzov Fighter Aviation Regiment
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.