Afrikanda (air base)

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Afrikanda
Afrikanda airfield
IATA: none ICAO: XLMF
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Russian Air Force
Serves	Afrikanda
Built	Unknown
In use	Unknown-2000
Elevation AMSL	505 ft / 154 m
Coordinates	67°27′24″N 032°47′12″E / 67.45667°N 32.78667°E / 67.45667; 32.78667Coordinates: 67°27′24″N 032°47′12″E / 67.45667°N 32.78667°E / 67.45667; 32.78667
Map
Afrikanda Location in Murmansk Oblast
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 10/28 8,202 2,500 Concrete

Afrikanda is a 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.

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; it is possible that Afrikanda may have closed.^[3]

History[]

During World War II[]

On June 26, 1941, the first known air victory was won over the airfield in World War II (the regiment was based at the airfield ): senior lieutenant L.I. Ivanov, piloting , shot down a German bomber in an air battle near the Afrikanod airfield, He-111.^{[4][full citation needed]}

In the future, the airfield was used by combat aircraft Karelian Front. From June 1 to July 1, 1942, the was based at the airfield on Hawker Hurricane (“Hurricane”) fighters. Also at the aerodrome from 1941 to November 10, 1943, was based on the Hurricane and LaGG-3 fighter planes.^[4]

In 1943, the was based at the airfield from on airplanes Boston-3, for exemplary performance of command assignments renamed .^[5]

In March 1944, units of the operational group were based on the airfield: operational group and on aircraft IL-4.^[6]

From April to June 1944, the 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, 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 was also based at this airfield . The regiment was armed with a front-line jet bomber IL-28.

In 1993 from the airfield was translated .

Both regiments were merged into one, which in September 1993 received the name of the 470th Guards Vilna Order of Kutuzov Fighter Aviation Regiment.^[7] In service with the 470th Guards. Iap consisted fighter Su-27.

September 1, 2001 and the 470th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment was disbanded.^[4][8]

References[]