Afrikanda (air Base)
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Afrikanda is a former military air base in
Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia, located in the northwestern part of the country, with a total land area of . Its only internal border is the Republic of Karelia to the south, and it is bor ...
, Russia. It is located just north of the village of the same name. It was built for fighter operations with 30 revetments, and has largely served in the
interceptor aircraft An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically for the defensive interception role against an attacking enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Aircraft that are c ...
role. Western intelligence services reported jet fighters operating from Afrikanda as early as 1953. 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. It served through the whole Cold War; in 1978 a
Sukhoi Su-15 The Sukhoi Su-15 (NATO reporting name: Flagon) is a twinjet supersonic interceptor aircraft developed by the Soviet Union. It entered service in 1965 and remained one of the front-line designs into the 1990s. The Su-15 was designed to replace t ...
was launched from Afrikanda to intercept Korean Air Flight 902, a
Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is an early American long-range Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, the initial first flew on Decembe ...
which was later forcefully landed; and in 1990, according to
Conventional Forces in Europe The original Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) was negotiated and concluded during the last years of the Cold War and established comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment in Europe (from the Atl ...
data exchanges, it had 39
Sukhoi Su-15 The Sukhoi Su-15 (NATO reporting name: Flagon) is a twinjet supersonic interceptor aircraft developed by the Soviet Union. It entered service in 1965 and remained one of the front-line designs into the 1990s. The Su-15 was designed to replace t ...
TM 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 The Sukhoi Su-27 (; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a Soviet-origin twin-engine supersonic supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation jet fighters suc ...
aircraft. The 470 Guards IAP disbanded on 30 November 2000 and the base was closed.


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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
(the regiment was based at Murmashi airfield): senior lieutenant L.I. Ivanov, piloting a
Polikarpov I-15 The Polikarpov I-15 () was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed ''Chaika'' (', "gull") because of its gulled upper wings,Gunston 1995, p. 299.Green and Swanborough 1979, p. 10. it was operated in large numbers by the Soviet ...
bis, shot down a German bomber in an air battle near the Afrikanod airfield,
Heinkel He 111 The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and medium bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Due to restrictions placed on Germany a ...
.All of Stalin 59, 125 In the future, the airfield was used by combat aircraft
Karelian Front The Karelian Front ) was a front (a formation of Army Group size) of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II, and operated in Karelia. Wartime The Karelian Front was created in August 1941 when Northern Front was split into Karelian ...
. From June 1 to July 1, 1942, the 835th Fighter Aviation Regiment was based at the airfield on
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
fighters. Also at the aerodrome from 1941 to November 10, 1943, 609th Fighter Aviation Regiment was based on the Hurricane and
LaGG-3 The Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 (Лавочкин-Горбунов-Гудков ЛаГГ-3) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a refinement of the earlier LaGG-1 and was one of the most modern aircraft available to the S ...
fighter planes. In 1943, the 137th short-range aviation regiment was based at the airfield from 258th mixed aviation division flying Douglas A-20 Boston III bombers, for exemplary performance of command assignments renamed 114th Guards Middle Bomb Aviation Regiment. 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 flying the
Ilyushin Il-4 The Ilyushin Il-4 (DB-3F) (; NATO reporting name: Bob) is a Soviet twin-engined long-range bomber and torpedo bomber, widely used by the Soviet Air Force and Soviet Naval Aviation during World War II. Design and development In 1938, the Ilyush ...
long-range bomber. From April to June 1944, the 668th Assault Aviation Regiment was based at Afrikanda, flying
Ilyushin Il-2 The Ilyushin Il-2 ( Russian: Илью́шин Ил-2) is a ground-attack plane that was produced by the Soviet Union in large numbers during the Second World War. The word ''shturmovík'' (Cyrillic: штурмовик), the generic Russian term ...
''Shturmovik'' ground-attack aircraft.


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 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (; USAF/DoD designation: Type 14; NATO reporting name: Fagot) is a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful jet fighters to incorporate s ...
,
MiG-17 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 was license-built in China as the Shenyang J-5 an ...
,
MiG-19 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 (; NATO reporting name: Farmer) is a Soviet second generation, single-seat, twinjet fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S. " Cen ...
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.Abbr. '' 470th Guards. iap '' In service with the 470th Guards. Iap consisted fighter
Su-27 The Sukhoi Su-27 (; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a Soviet-origin twin-engine supersonic supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation jet fighters suc ...
. September 1, 2001 and the 470th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment was disbanded.


See also

*
List of military airbases in Russia This is a List of military airbases in Russia, including the airbases used by the Russian Aerospace Forces, Russian Naval Aviation, National Guard of Russia and aircraft repair depots. The list includes overseas Russian airbases including those i ...


References

Аэродром Африканда: осколок советской империи
{{DEFAULTSORT:Afrikanda Air Base Russian Air Force bases Airports in Murmansk Oblast Soviet Air Defence Force bases