Nizhyn Air Base
Nizhyn is an air base in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine 4 km (2.5 mi) north of Nizhyn. It was operated by the Soviet Long Range Aviation and Ukrainian Long Range Aviation. It is a medium-sized bomber base with a modern design and is being used to store some of Ukraine's older bombers. The airfield has 33 large revetments along a curved taxiway.
Nizhyn | |||||||||||
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Airport Overview | |||||||||||
Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
Operator | State Emergency Service of Ukraine | ||||||||||
Location | Nizhyn | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 440 ft / 134 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 51°6′0″N 031°52′0″E | ||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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During 1964-67 the base began converting to the Tupolev Tu-22R (Blinder) and by 1967 it had 24 Tu-22s based here.[1] The reconnaissance variants were tasked with operations in Western Europe. In July 1969 two Tu-22 aircraft collided in mid-air; the crew ejected and the plane flew on unpiloted for 52 minutes, threatening the city of Nizhin before crashing 0.5 km from the city's railway station.[1] In November 1988 three Tu-22R were deployed to Mozdok to fight in Afghanistan, but returned to base a week later without seeing any combat.[1] Some Tu-22s were sent to Nizhyn for disposal, probably in the 1990s.[1]
Units stationed at Nizhyn include:
- 199 ODRAP (199th Independent Long-Range Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment) flying Tu-22R from 1964 to the 1990s,[2][3] and the Tu-22RDK, Tu-22K, and Tu-22UD as of 1991.[2]
airforce.ru says that on December 30, 1996, the regiment was reorganized as the 18 separate Long Range Aviation Squadron. In the battle of the An-30B - 6 units., Tu-22P - 3 units., Tu-22U - 1 unit.[4] Furthermore, on February 22, 1999, Decree #242 of the Verkhovna Rada 18 odrae transferred to the Ministry of Emergency Situations and renamed 300 Special Aviation Squadron MOE.
References
- Gordon, Yefim (1999). Tupolev Tu-22 'Blinder' Tu-22M 'Backfire'. Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-065-6.
- "Dal'nyaya Aviatsiya". Aviabaza KPOI. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011.
- "Take-Off". take-off.ru.
- http://wiki.airforce.ru/index.php?title=199_%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BF
- Michael Holm, 199th independent Long Range Reconnaissance Regiment, accessed September 2011