Ostrov Veretie Veretye | |||||||
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Ostrov, Pskov Oblast | |||||||
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Coordinates | 57°18′0″N 028°26′0″E / 57.30000°N 28.43333°E | ||||||
Type | Army Aviation airfield | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Owner | Russian Ministry of Defense | ||||||
Operator | Russian Aerospace Forces | ||||||
Controlled by | 6th Air and Air Defence Forces Army | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
Built | 1940 | ||||||
In use | 1940- | ||||||
Airfield information | |||||||
Elevation | 67 metres (220 ft) AMSL | ||||||
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Ostrov (Russian: Веретье ("Veret"); also Ostrov-5, Gorokhovka) is a Russian Aerospace Forces air base[1] in Pskov Oblast, Russia located 7 km southeast of Ostrov and 57 km south of Pskov. It was subordinate to the Baltic Fleet[1] and was a nuclear bomber facility with 15 very large revetments on the east side of the airfield and about 30 small revetments on the west side. As many as 63 Tupolev Tu-16s were based here. A US intelligence analysis in 1984 identified a normal complement of 52 Tu-16 aircraft at Ostrov.[2] The base hosted the Russian Navy's 444th Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Personnel Naval Aviation.[3]
The base is now home to the 15th Army Aviation Brigade which was formed during 2013. The brigade operates Ka-52, Mi-28N, Mi-35M, Mi-26 and Mi-8 MTV-5.
In 1953 the 12th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, part of the 116th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division (LRA), arrived from Tartu in the Estonian SSR. In 1960 it was transferred to the Baltic Fleet and the Navy and retitled the 12th Naval Missile-carrying Aviation Regiment (12 MRAP).[4] Briefly under the control of the 57th Maritime Torpedo Aviation Division Long-Range, it was subordinated directly to the Baltic Fleet in 1961. It flew Tupolev Tu-16Ks and Tu-16Zs throughout the 1960s to 1980s. The regiment was disbanded on 29 December 1989.
The 240 Gv MRAP (240th Naval Missile-carrying Regiment) flying Tupolev Tu-16, active for many years, was disbanded in 1991. It was reformed in 1995 as the 240th Guards Research-Instructor Mixed Aviation Regiment, subordinate to the 444th Center. From 1995 it flew the Sukhoi Su-24 and Tupolev Tu-22M3s.[5] Also at the base was the 5501 BKhu (5501st Aviation Equipment Disposal Base) with 74 probably-scrapped Tupolev Tu-16 aircraft in 1992).[6]
There is little reliable information on the early history of the airfield.
There is information that the Veretie airfield was built in the mid 1930s. At first, the airfield was used as summer camps. In 1940, on the basis of the Directive of the NKO USSR 0/4104725 of July 25, 1940, the 158th Fighter Aviation Regiment was formed and was based at the Veretie airfield. By 22.06.41, the regiment was armed with 46 aircraft Polikarpov I-16 and 20 Yakovlev Yak-1. During the war years, the airfield was used by German aviation (judging by the archival photographs - auxiliary and military transport).[citation needed]
In 1953, the 12th TAP DD was redeployed from the Tartu airfield to the Veretie airfield by airplanes Tupolev Tu-4 (a reverse engineered Boeing B-29 Superfortress). Until 1954, the 12th TAP remained in the 326th TACB of the 74th Long-Range Aviation Heavy Bomber Corps. In the same year, he, together with the 685th TAP, joined the specially formed 116th Heavy Aviation Division of the 74th UTBAK. This division was created for the development of a new anti-ship missile system KS-1 Komet. The division management, as well as its regiments (the 12th TAP and the 685th TAP) were stationed at the Veretie airfield. In addition to heavy regiments, the division included the 61st Separate Fighter Aviation Squadron of SPN SDK-5 aircraft (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 SDK). The division and the units included in it were assigned to especially regime objects.[citation needed]
At the end of 1959 - the beginning of 1960, the management of the 116th TAJ and the 685th TAP were disbanded. According to the directive of the Civil Code of the Navy No. OMU / 13028 of 03/27/1960, the 12th heavy aviation regiment was transferred to the BF Air Force and renamed the 12th long-range torpedo aviation regiment. The regiment commander was reassigned to the 61st OIAE Special Forces, based on the Veretie airfield, which was also transferred to the BF Air Force. In July 1960, the 61st OIAE was reorganized into the 12th separate fighter squadron of SPN, without changing the place of deployment.
On April 13, 1961, in connection with the transformation of mine-torpedo aviation into naval rocket-carrying aircraft, on the basis of the Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 0028 of 03/20/1961, the Order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy No. 048 of April 13, 1961 and the Order of Commander BF No. 0036 On April 27, 1961, the 12th OMTAP DD was renamed the '12th Separate Naval Missile Aviation Regiment' '.
In mid-1961, the 12th Special Forces Company, subordinated to the regimental commander, was disbanded.
June 1, 1971, on the basis of the directive of the General Staff of the Navy No. 730 / 1/00186 of February 10, 1971, the 9th Guards. The IRPA, armed with airplanes Tu-16, was transferred to the Baltic Fleet Air Force, redeployed from the Severomorsk-1 airfield to Veretie airfield. 9th Guards. The entire MTRP was part of the 5th MTAD of the Northern Fleet, with a deployment at the Vaenga airfield (Severomorsk-1). After the end of the war, the armament of the regiment was equipped with the Ilyushin Il-4 and A-20 Boston airplanes, then the regiment was re-equipped Ilyushin Il-28 and Tupolev Tu-14, in 1956, at Tu-16. One of the reasons for the relocation of the regiment was the need to release the airfield to the 24th separate anti-submarine regiment of the DD on Ilyushin Il-38 as early as 1968. In 1972, the year of the 9th Guards. the air regiment flew over to the Island.
At the same time, the regiment is preparing for overseas travel to Egypt to provide military assistance to the "brotherly people." The command of the Soviet Navy decided to send a squadron of airplanes (ten cars) to the "hot spot" Tu-16KSR-2-11 from the 9th Guards. MRPA. The commander of the air group was Colonel V. I. Kolchin. The aircraft received camouflage and identification marks of the Arab Republic of Egypt. In late October - early November 1971, Tu-16 aircraft were redeployed to Aswan, where the crews began to study the area of flights in new, unusual for northerners conditions. The aircraft flew in pairs through Hungary and Yugoslavia, the squadron's technical personnel was relocated by aircraft Antonov An-12. The formal task of the squadron was to train Egyptian pilots on Tu-16KSR-2 aircraft.
By June 1972, 10 Egyptian crews were retrained to this rocket system, and in July they received an order to wind down the activities of the Soviet air group. In July 1972, pilots and vehicles of the 9th Guards. The MRPA has left Egypt. Before their departure, all 10 missile carriers were transferred to the Egyptian side. As part of the Air Force ARE of them was formed the 36th Aviation Squadron, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Rauf.
However, despite the categorical demands of the UAR President Anvar Sadat about the complete withdrawal of Soviet military specialists, the Egyptian Air Force commanders had to resort to the help of Soviet Tu-16 specialists. In December 1972, a group of so-called “instructors” from the 9th Guards arrived in Egypt. MRAF BF Air Force, commanded by Major Kornev. The group included: navigators, equipment for all aviation specialties, specialists in rocket equipment and cruise missiles. Under the contract, they worked for six months, and the "missilemen" remained for another three months - until the end of October 1973.
December 31, 1974 9th Guards. MRPA was disbanded. One of the reasons for disbanding the regiment was that it was armed with the KS missile system that was outdated by that time, and it was considered inexpedient to rearm it.
In 1975, the 846th Separate Guards Naval Assault Aviation Regiment of the military unit 39064 was formed at the [Vera] airfield Sukhoi Su-17 - the first naval assault aviation regiment in the Naval Aviation of the USSR post-war period. This regiment became the heir of the famous 1st Guards Mine-Torpedo Aviation Regiment The Air Force twice of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, to which all regalia and honorary names were transferred. On May 20, 1980, the regiment was relocated to the airfield Chkalovsk, Kaliningrad.[citation needed]
In 1978, at the airfield of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet air force of the city of Bykhaw, the 342nd separate air regiment electronic warfare 'was formed on Tu-16 aircraft. In 1980, the regiment was transferred to the airfield Veretie, where he worked until 1989, after which the 342nd ERA EW was disbanded, and its units were again returned to the 170th and 240th Guards. Mrapov in Bykhov.
On December 29, 1989, the 12th OMFR of the BF air force was disbanded. The Battle Banner of the regiment was handed over to the archive of the USSR Ministry of Defense, and the aircraft were transferred to the aviation storage base again formed at the Veret airfield (the 5501th reserve base of aircraft and helicopters). From there, the Tu-16K-26 regiment aircraft were transferred to the EBC 170th Guards squadron. MRPA and the 240th Guards. MRPA, gradually replacing the older by the years of release of the Tu-16PSS.
In 1989, the Veretie garrison, after redeploying the 392nd ODRAP there, came under the authority of the SF air force and remained in their structure until 1993.