Vorkuta Sovetsky (air base)

Military airfield in Komi Republic, Russia
67°27′56″N 064°18′28″E / 67.46556°N 64.30778°E / 67.46556; 64.30778[1]TypeAir BaseSite informationOwnerMinistry of DefenceOperatorRussian Air ForceSite historyBuilt1960 (1960)In use1960 - presentAirfield informationIdentifiersICAO: XUYKElevation192 metres (630 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
01/19 3,550 metres (11,647 ft) Concrete

Vorkuta Sovetskiy (also known as Vorkuta East) is a military airfield in the Komi Republic, Russia, located 11 km east of Vorkuta. It was one of nine Air Army staging bases in the Arctic for Russian bomber units.[1][2] It contains one of the largest runways in Russia's Arctic region.

Sovetskiy was built in the early 1960s as a staging base for intercontinental Long-Range Aviation bomber strikes (as a so-called 'bounce' airdrome). The airfield was first identified by Western intelligence in 1961.[3] It is maintained by OGA (Arctic Control Group). The 364 OSAE (364h Independent Mixed Aviation Squadron) was based here between 1980 and 1994 with the Antonov An-12 (NATO: Cub), Antonov An-26 (NATO: Curl) and Mil Mi-8 (NATO: Hip).[4]

See also

  • Chekurovka, abandoned Arctic staging base
  • Aspidnoye (air base), abandoned Arctic staging base
  • Tiksi West, abandoned Arctic staging base

References

  1. ^ a b HALO A HEAVY LIFT HELICOPTER VORKUTA AIRFIELD EAST, USSR, CIA-RDP89-00121R000300570004-4, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC, April 4, 1982.
  2. ^ STRATEGIC ARMS LIMITATIONS RELATED ACTIVITIES SUMMARY REPORT (SANITIZED), June 1, 1980, CREST: CIA-RDP80T01355A000100140001-2, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC.
  3. ^ PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION OAK REPORT, CIA-RDP78T05164A000200010007-7, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC, July 15, 1961.
  4. ^ "364h independent Mixed Aviation Squadron". Soviet Armed Forces 1945-1991. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
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