Starokostiantyniv Air Base

Starokostiantyniv
Starokostiantyniv, Khmelnytskyi Oblast in Ukraine
Starokostiantyniv Shown within Khmelnytskyi Oblast Show map of Khmelnytskyi Oblast Starokostiantyniv Starokostiantyniv (Ukraine) Show map of Ukraine
Coordinates	49°44′51″N027°16′19″E / 49.74750°N 27.27194°E / 49.74750; 27.27194
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Ukrainian Air Force
Controlled by	Air Force Command
Site history
In use	Unknown - present
Battles/wars	2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Airfield information
Identifiers	ICAO: UKLS
Elevation	266 metres (873 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 11/29 2,475 metres (8,120 ft)  Concrete

Starokostiantyniv( ICAO : UKLS) is an air base of the Ukrainian Air Force located near Starokostiantyniv, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukraine.

The base is home to the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade "Petro Franko" flying Sukhoi Su-24M, Sukhoi Su-24MR, and Aero L-39C Albatros aircraft. ^[1]

History

In the early 1990s the airbase became home to the 7th Bomber Aviation Regiment flying Sukhoi Su-24M aircraft. During the Cold War the 85th Fighter Aviation Regiment was also located at the base. ^[2]

On February 13, 1992, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, pilots from this airbase took six Su-24 airplanes to Russia. To avoid detection by the air defense systems of Ukraine, they flew to Russia through Belarus. ^[3]

After the Regiment became a Ukrainian formation it was subordinate to the 35th Aviation Group. ^[4] Later, the Regiment was reorganized into a Bomber and Reconnaissance Brigade.

On 19 May 2004, 32 Orae was formed from the former 48 BrTA at Kolomyia. In October 2005 the former 32 Independent Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron at Kolminya joined the brigade as its reconnaissance aviation squadron. ^[5]

In 2005-2006 the Brigade became first Air Force formation to be composed of professional soldiers and not conscripts. ^[6]

The sole McDonnell Douglas F-15D Eagle came from the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, UK, giving the Californian contingent a two-seat Eagle to provide backseat rides to their hosts. The Ukraine Air Force's two-seat aircraft were often used for familiarization sorties and exchange backseat rides during exercise. ^[7]

In the late afternoon of 16 October 2018, while carrying out one of these single-aircraft familiarization flights, a Sukhoi Su-27UB1M (‘70 Blue’) crashed resulting in the death of the two pilots, Colonel Ivan Nikolayevich Petrenko, deputy commander of Eastern Air Command/Ukrainian Air Force, and Lt. Colonel Seth ‘Jethro’ Nehring of the California ANG/144th Fighter Wing. ^{[8] [7]}

During 2021 the base was modernised, including new navigation equipment, with United States assistance. Reportedly the airfield was certified to NATO standards in September 2021. ^[9]

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, on 6 March 2022, the base was targeted by Russian missile strike, damaging its infrastructure. ^[10] During the night of 29 May 2023, five aircraft at the base were damaged in a Russian missile and UAV attack. ^{[11] [12]}

Aircraft

The following aircraft are based at the air base:

• Sukhoi Su-24
• Mikoyan MiG-29
• L-39 Albatros

References

1. "Ukraine Air Force". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
2. "85th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment". Ww2.dk. Retrieved 2022-08-31.
3. D. Lovyagin (1992-02-17). "Украинские самолеты в России: это счастье — путь домой" [Ukrainian aircraft in Russia: happiness is the way home] (in Russian). No. 107 (Kommersant  ed.). Archived from the original on 2015-08-28. [On February 13, 6 bombers of the Starokonstantinovsky garrison (Khmelnitsky region) flew to Shatalovo (Smolensk region). Among the officers who left some of the officers were the deputy division commander and the navigator of the regiment, who developed 4 flight routes to Russia. The Shatalovsky airfield was chosen by the pilots as the most suitable for landing aircraft of the Su-24 type, and the flight itself was carried out through the territory of Belarus in order to exclude the possibility of the aircraft being detected by Ukrainian air defense radars. As a Kommersant correspondent was told, the flight was timed not to coincide with a meeting of CIS leaders, but for a scheduled flight to the training ground. The reasons for the act of the pilots were apparently unknown to the command, although the deputy division commander, Colonel Cherny, one of the airmen, refused to swear allegiance to Ukraine back in January.]
4. Вооруженные силы Украины
5. AirForces Monthly . Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. July 2015. p. 90.
6. Government of Ukraine, "Військо України" Archived 2007-11-10 at the Wayback Machine
7. AirForces Monthly . Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. January 2019. p. 38.
8. "Exercise CLEAR SKY 2018 – Starokostiantyniv air base, Ukraine - MILAVIA Military Aviation Specials".
9. Vijainder K Thakur (31 May 2023). "Plucky Ukraine 'Retaliates' After Unforgiving Russian Strikes With Kh-101 & Iskander-K Missiles; Remains Poised For Counteroffensive". The EurAsian Times. Toronto. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
10. "Russia strikes Ukrainian military air base with long-range weapons". reuters.com. 6 March 2022.
11. "Russia Hits Military Facility In West Ukraine, Damaging Planes". Barron's. Dow Jones. AFP. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
12. "Combat Capability Will Be Restored. Air Force Comments On Strike On Airfield In Khmelnytskyi Region". Ukrainian News. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.