Long Range Aviation
Encyclopedia
Long Range Aviation was the branch of the Soviet Air Forces tasked with long-range bombardment of strategic targets with nuclear weapons. During the Cold War
, it was the counterpart to the Strategic Air Command
of the United States Air Force
.
The first three Air Armies, designated Air Armies
of Special Purpose were created between 1936 and 1938. On 5 November 1940 these were reformed as the Long Range Bombardment Aviation of the High Command of the Red Army (until February 1942) due to lack of combat performance during the conflict with Finland
.
During the Battle of Stalingrad
, the ADD, having taken crippling losses over the past 18 months, was restricted to flying at night. The Soviets flew 11,317 night sorties over Stalingrad and the Don-bend sector between 17 July and 19 November. These raids caused little damage and were of nuisance value only.
Strategic bombers (including Petlyakov Pe-8
s?) were initially a part of the Long Range Aviation divisions of the reserve of High Command, but were reformed as the 18th Air Army (Vozdushnaya Armiya VA) in December 1944. One of the divisions of the 18th Air Army was the 62nd Long Range Aviation Division, heraldic predecessor to the 37th Air Army's 22nd Donbass Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. Strategic bombers were regrouped within the Long Range Aviation of the Armed Forces (DA VS) in April 1946. The DA VS (Dal'naya Aviatsiya Vozdushnikh Syl - Longrange Aviation of Air Forces) consisted of the 1st Air Army
DA in Smolensk
, which was reorganised as the 50th Air Army in Jan 1949, the 2nd Air Army
DA in Vinnitsa reorganised as the 43rd Air Army in Jan 1949, and the 3rd Air Army DA in Khabarovsk
reorganised as the 65th Air Army in Jan 1949. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Air Armies had previously been active providing direct support the land forces during the Second World War, and thus the new DA air armies with shorter lineages were renumbered as the 50th, 43rd, and 65th.
As the 1940s closed and the Cold War
dawned, the Soviet Union scrambled to develop an instrument of deterrence
against the United States.
The only substantial aircraft it was equipped with was the Tupolev Tu-4
(Bull), an exact copy of the B-29 Superfortress
. This was fielded in 1949 and brought the first threat of war to the
United States, as missile technology at this time was still a decade away. However the Tu-4 was incapable of returning to the Soviet Union, and the establishment worked to develop an aircraft capable of a round trip operation.
The outcome of this competition was the highly successful Tupolev Tu-95
, which entered service in the 1955-1956 period, and remained the backbone of power against the NATO for many decades, and continues in service with the Russian Federation. Myasischev's contribution was the Myasishchev M-4
, but this aircraft fell below expectations. Surprisingly went on to serve an unexpected but vital role as the 3M
aerial refueling
tanker, which extended the reach of the strategic air fleet. Other aircraft in service with the DA during this period included the Tupolev Tu-16
(Badger) and the Tupolev Tu-22
(Blinder).
In 1957 the 65th Air Army was renamed 5th Air Army and was relocated to Blagoveshchensk
. In 1960 the DA was reorganised into Separate Heavy Bomber Air Corps (OTBAK - Otdel'niy tyazhely bombandirovochniy aviatsionniy korpus) instead of Air Armies due to increase in the ordnance capacity and use of nuclear weapon
s as part of the ordnance selection. Among these corps were the 2nd, 6th, and 8th. These three corps were formed from portions of the 43rd, 50th, and 5th Air Armies DA. At the same time, the 43rd and 50th Air Armies were transferred to the Strategic Rocket Forces
and became the 43rd Rocket Army
and the 50th Rocket Army.
A classified Central Intelligence Agency
report indicated that at least during the early 1970s there was no evidence of a quick-reaction posture; in other words, no airborne alert force and no quick-reaction crews on the ground. This stood in stark contrast to the United States, which was always at a high state of readiness. Furthermore, the 195 bombers belonging to Strategic Aviation were concentrated at only five primary airfields and spent most of their time there.
Until 1980 the DA VS existed as a separate service. In January 1980 the DA was disbanded and the heavy bomber units divided between three air armies, the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command (Strategic Purpose), 37 VA VGK (SN) with its headquarters in Moscow
, the 46 VA VGK (SN) at Smolensk
and the 30 VA VGK (SN) at Irkutsk
. During the 1980s, DA introduced the Tupolev Tu-160
(Blackjack) high-performance bomber, similar to and slightly larger than the American B-1 Lancer
.
The three long-range air armies also flew the Tu-22M. On 1 January 1991 the 46th Air Army's forces included the:
In 1988 the three air armies were again reunified to form the Long Range Aviation Command.
However elements of all of the Soviet Union's strategic forces would have been available to participate in Warsaw Pact
operations. The Central Intelligence Agency in 1975 estimated that 530 intermediate-range bombers west of the Urals, possibly augmented by Soviet Navy
aircraft, were intended for European strikes in the NATO rear area that required large conventional or nuclear payloads.
Long Range Aviation's aircraft was based at about a dozen key bases around the Soviet Union: Ryazan Dyagilevo
near Moscow; Priluki
and Uzyn in Ukraine; Engels-2
near Saratov; Mozdok
near Chechnya; Dolon
near Semipalitinsk; and Belaya
, Ukrainka
, and Vozdvizhenka in the Far East.
Though basing forces in the Arctic would have posed more of a threat to North America, the hostile climate, poor logistical network, and weak defense network precluded such a plan. Therefore the Soviet Union created a network of standby Arctic staging bases ('Bounce airdromes'; ) under the control of OGA (Arctic Control Group), which would have been activated in wartime. These bases were airfields used for a short stop ("bounce") by airplanes for refueling and servicing for the purpose of extending the range of the flight, including long-range military
(their Staging base).
They primarily included Olenegorsk
, Novaya Zemlya
Rogachevo
Airport, and Vorkuta Sovetskiy in the northwest; and Tiksi Airport
, Anadyr Ugolny Airport, and Mys Shmidta
in the northeast. High-Arctic bases such as Nagurskoye
and Greem-Bell may have been available to smaller aircraft, and the staging airfields Sredniy Ostrov, Dresba
, Chekurovka
, and Tiksi North
were probably never completed. Though the Tu-95 could operate without the use of staging bases, nearly all other aircraft would have required the facilities in order to reach the United States .
Bomber crews were trained to be proficient in all basic aspects of strategic operations, including navigation, inflight refueling, air-to-surface missile strike procedures, Arctic staging, penetration tactics, and electronic countermeasures.
of the Supreme High Command, which now numbers one regiment of around 15 Tupolev Tu-160
, three regiments of Tu-95s, four regiments of Tupolev Tu-22M
s, and an air refueling regiment. Total aircraft strength is around 15 Tu-160s, 64 Tu-95MSs, 116 Tu-22M3s, and about 20 Il-78 refueling aircraft. Since the 2006 edition of the Military Balance, an additional Tu-160 has joined the force, raising the active number to 16 aircraft.
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, it was the counterpart to the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.
Long Range Aviation in World War II
Air Army
An air army was a type of large military formation, comprising several corps or divisions, in the forces of the Soviet Union and the Japanese Empire before, during and after the Second World War...
of Special Purpose were created between 1936 and 1938. On 5 November 1940 these were reformed as the Long Range Bombardment Aviation of the High Command of the Red Army (until February 1942) due to lack of combat performance during the conflict with Finland
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
.
During the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
, the ADD, having taken crippling losses over the past 18 months, was restricted to flying at night. The Soviets flew 11,317 night sorties over Stalingrad and the Don-bend sector between 17 July and 19 November. These raids caused little damage and were of nuisance value only.
Strategic bombers (including Petlyakov Pe-8
Petlyakov Pe-8
The Petlyakov Pe-8 was a Soviet heavy bomber designed before World War II, and the only four-engine bomber the USSR built during the war. Produced in limited numbers, it was used to bomb Berlin in August 1941. It was also used for so-called "morale raids" designed to raise the spirit of the Soviet...
s?) were initially a part of the Long Range Aviation divisions of the reserve of High Command, but were reformed as the 18th Air Army (Vozdushnaya Armiya VA) in December 1944. One of the divisions of the 18th Air Army was the 62nd Long Range Aviation Division, heraldic predecessor to the 37th Air Army's 22nd Donbass Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. Strategic bombers were regrouped within the Long Range Aviation of the Armed Forces (DA VS) in April 1946. The DA VS (Dal'naya Aviatsiya Vozdushnikh Syl - Longrange Aviation of Air Forces) consisted of the 1st Air Army
1st Air Army
The 1st Air Army was an Air Army in the Soviet Air Force which served during World War II. It was formed on May 10, 1942 within the Soviet Western Front, and renamed the 26th Air Army on January 10, 1949 in the Belorussian Military District....
DA in Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
, which was reorganised as the 50th Air Army in Jan 1949, the 2nd Air Army
2nd Air Army
The 2nd Air Army was a formation of the Aviation of the Red Army as part of the Soviet Armed Forces during the Second World War...
DA in Vinnitsa reorganised as the 43rd Air Army in Jan 1949, and the 3rd Air Army DA in Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk is the largest city and the administrative center of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. It is located some from the Chinese border. It is the second largest city in the Russian Far East, after Vladivostok. The city became the administrative center of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia...
reorganised as the 65th Air Army in Jan 1949. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Air Armies had previously been active providing direct support the land forces during the Second World War, and thus the new DA air armies with shorter lineages were renumbered as the 50th, 43rd, and 65th.
As the 1940s closed and the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
dawned, the Soviet Union scrambled to develop an instrument of deterrence
Deterrence theory
Deterrence theory gained increased prominence as a military strategy during the Cold War with regard to the use of nuclear weapons, and features prominently in current United States foreign policy regarding the development of nuclear technology in North Korea and Iran. Deterrence theory however was...
against the United States.
The only substantial aircraft it was equipped with was the Tupolev Tu-4
Tupolev Tu-4
The Tupolev Tu-4 was a piston-engined Soviet strategic bomber that served the Soviet Air Force from the late 1940s to mid 1960s...
(Bull), an exact copy of the B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
. This was fielded in 1949 and brought the first threat of war to the
United States, as missile technology at this time was still a decade away. However the Tu-4 was incapable of returning to the Soviet Union, and the establishment worked to develop an aircraft capable of a round trip operation.
The outcome of this competition was the highly successful Tupolev Tu-95
Tupolev Tu-95
The Tupolev Tu-95 is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the former Soviet Union in 1956 and is expected to serve the Russian Air Force until at least 2040...
, which entered service in the 1955-1956 period, and remained the backbone of power against the NATO for many decades, and continues in service with the Russian Federation. Myasischev's contribution was the Myasishchev M-4
Myasishchev M-4
The Myasishchev M-4 Molot , USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 37", NATO reporting name 'Bison'.) is a four-engined strategic bomber designed by Vladimir Myasishchev and manufactured by the Soviet Union in the 1950s to provide a bomber capable of attacking targets in North America...
, but this aircraft fell below expectations. Surprisingly went on to serve an unexpected but vital role as the 3M
Myasishchev M-4
The Myasishchev M-4 Molot , USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 37", NATO reporting name 'Bison'.) is a four-engined strategic bomber designed by Vladimir Myasishchev and manufactured by the Soviet Union in the 1950s to provide a bomber capable of attacking targets in North America...
aerial refueling
Aerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
tanker, which extended the reach of the strategic air fleet. Other aircraft in service with the DA during this period included the Tupolev Tu-16
Tupolev Tu-16
The Tupolev Tu-16 was a twin-engine jet bomber used by the Soviet Union. It has flown for more than 50 years, and the Chinese license-built Xian H-6 remains in service with the Chinese air force.-Development:...
(Badger) and the Tupolev Tu-22
Tupolev Tu-22
The Tupolev Tu-22 was the first supersonic bomber to enter production in the Soviet Union. Manufactured by Tupolev, the Tu-22 entered service with the Soviet military in the 1960s, and the last examples were retired during the 1990s...
(Blinder).
In 1957 the 65th Air Army was renamed 5th Air Army and was relocated to Blagoveshchensk
Blagoveshchensk
Blagoveshchensk is a city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast, Russia. Population: -Early history of the region:The early residents of both sides of the Amur in the region of today's Blagoveshchensk were the Daurs and Duchers...
. In 1960 the DA was reorganised into Separate Heavy Bomber Air Corps (OTBAK - Otdel'niy tyazhely bombandirovochniy aviatsionniy korpus) instead of Air Armies due to increase in the ordnance capacity and use of nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s as part of the ordnance selection. Among these corps were the 2nd, 6th, and 8th. These three corps were formed from portions of the 43rd, 50th, and 5th Air Armies DA. At the same time, the 43rd and 50th Air Armies were transferred to the Strategic Rocket Forces
Strategic Rocket Forces
The Strategic Missile Troops or Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation or RVSN RF , transliteration: Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii, literally Missile Troops of Strategic Designation of the Russian Federation) are a military branch of the Russian...
and became the 43rd Rocket Army
43rd Rocket Army
The 43rd Red Banner Rocket Army was an army of the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces.It was formed at Vinnitsa within the Kiev Military District's boundaries on 1 September 1960 from the previous 43rd Air Army of the Long Range Aviation....
and the 50th Rocket Army.
A classified Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
report indicated that at least during the early 1970s there was no evidence of a quick-reaction posture; in other words, no airborne alert force and no quick-reaction crews on the ground. This stood in stark contrast to the United States, which was always at a high state of readiness. Furthermore, the 195 bombers belonging to Strategic Aviation were concentrated at only five primary airfields and spent most of their time there.
Until 1980 the DA VS existed as a separate service. In January 1980 the DA was disbanded and the heavy bomber units divided between three air armies, the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command (Strategic Purpose), 37 VA VGK (SN) with its headquarters in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, the 46 VA VGK (SN) at Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
and the 30 VA VGK (SN) at Irkutsk
Irkutsk
Irkutsk is a city and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Population: .-History:In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of fur taxes from the Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov...
. During the 1980s, DA introduced the Tupolev Tu-160
Tupolev Tu-160
The Tupolev Tu-160 is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Although several civil and military transport aircraft are larger in overall dimensions, the Tu-160 is currently the world's largest combat aircraft, largest...
(Blackjack) high-performance bomber, similar to and slightly larger than the American B-1 Lancer
B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...
.
The three long-range air armies also flew the Tu-22M. On 1 January 1991 the 46th Air Army's forces included the:
46th Air Army
HQ: Smolensk- 64th Independent Communications Regiment (SmolenskSmolenskSmolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
) - 103rd Guards Transport Aviation Regiment (SmolenskSmolenskSmolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
) - 199th Guards 'Brest' Independent Long-Range Reconnaissance Regiment (Nezhin), 26 Tu-22R
- 290th Independent Long-Range Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (Zyabrovka, Gomel region)
- 13th Guards TBAD
- 185th Guards Bomber Regiment (PoltavaPoltavaPoltava is a city in located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast , as well as the surrounding Poltava Raion of the oblast. Poltava's estimated population is 298,652 ....
, Ukraine) - 22 Tu-22M;
- 185th Guards Bomber Regiment (Poltava
- 15th Guards "Gomel" TBAD (OzernoyeOzerne (air base)Ozerne is an air base in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine located 11 km southeast of Zhytomyr...
, Zhitomir region)- 121st Guards "Sevastopol" TBAP (Machulishchi, Minsk region) with 34 Tu-22K
- 203rd Guards "Orel" TBAP (BaranovichiBaranovichiBaranovichi , is a city in the Brest Province of western Belarus with a population of 173,000. It is a significant railway junction and home to a state university.-Overview:...
, North Brest region) with 32 Tu-22K - 341st TBAP (OzernoyeOzerne (air base)Ozerne is an air base in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine located 11 km southeast of Zhytomyr...
, Zhitomir region) with 32 Tu-22K
- 22nd Guards "Donbas" TBAD22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation DivisionThe 22nd Guards Donbass Red Banner Heavy Bomber Aviation Division was a Soviet Air Forces formation. It was a Long Range Aviation division active from 1942 to 2008-9. Included in the 37th Air Army High Command. Commander of the division was Major General Alexander Blazhenko...
(Bobruisk, South Mogilev region)- 200th Guards "Brest" TBAP (Bobruisk, South Mogilev region) with 20 Tu-22M3 and 18 Tu-16K
- 260th TBAP (StryyStryi (air base)Stryi is an air base in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine located 4 km southwest of Stryi...
, Lvov region) with 18 Tu-22M3 and 23 Tu-16K
- 326th "Ternopol" TBAD (TartuTartuTartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
, Estonian SSR)- 132nd "Berlin" TBAP (TartuTartuTartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
) with 18 Tu-22M3 and 17 Tu-16K - 402nd TBAP (BalbasovoBalbasovoBalbasovo is a long-range bomber air base in Belarus, located 11 km southwest of Orsha. It has a long runway, large tarmac area, and 30 large revetments...
, Vitebsk region) with 17 Tu-22M3 and 7 Tu-16K - 840th TBAP (Soltsy-2Soltsy-2Soltsy-2 is an air base in Novgorod Oblast, Russia located 2 km north of Soltsy and 72 km southwest of Novgorod...
, South Novgorod region) with 19 Tu-22M3
- 132nd "Berlin" TBAP (Tartu
In 1988 the three air armies were again reunified to form the Long Range Aviation Command.
Strategy
In the event of a nuclear war with the United States, the Soviet Union would likely have committed its entire heavy bomber force to attacks against United States targets. Medium-sized bombers would have been used in a peripheral role.However elements of all of the Soviet Union's strategic forces would have been available to participate in Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
operations. The Central Intelligence Agency in 1975 estimated that 530 intermediate-range bombers west of the Urals, possibly augmented by Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
aircraft, were intended for European strikes in the NATO rear area that required large conventional or nuclear payloads.
Long Range Aviation's aircraft was based at about a dozen key bases around the Soviet Union: Ryazan Dyagilevo
Dyagilevo
Dyagilevo is an air base in Ryazan Oblast, Russia located 3 km west of Ryazan. It has served as a training center for Russia's strategic bomber force....
near Moscow; Priluki
Pryluky (air base)
Pryluky is an air base in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine located 6 km west of Pryluky. This airfield was Ukraine's primary Tupolev Tu-160 bomber base . There are revetments for 20 large aircraft.Pryluky accepted USSR's first Tu-160 in April 1987, building its fleet up to 19 by 1994...
and Uzyn in Ukraine; Engels-2
Engels-2
Engels Air Force Base is a strategic air base in Russia located east of Saratov. Engels is a major bomber operations base, and is Russia's sole operating location for the Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers. The base contains a runway and about 10 large revetments...
near Saratov; Mozdok
Mozdok
Mozdok is a town and the administrative center of Mozdoksky District of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania in southern Russia, located on the left shore of the Terek River, north of Vladikavkaz, the republic's capital. The name of the town literally means "dense forest" in the Kabardian language...
near Chechnya; Dolon
Dolon
In Greek mythology, Dolon fought for Troy during the Trojan War.-Dolon's Night Mission in Homer's Iliad:Dolon is the father of Eumedes, and has 5 daughters...
near Semipalitinsk; and Belaya
Belaya (air base)
Belaya is a significant strategic air base in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia located 18 km northwest of Usolye-Sibirskoye and 85 km northwest of Irkutsk...
, Ukrainka
Ukrainka (air base)
Ukrainka is one of Russia's largest strategic Long Range Aviation bases in the Far East. Located in Amur Oblast, Russia, 28 km north of Belogorsk, it is a major nuclear bomber base, with large tarmacs and nearly 40 revetments.In 1955, Ukrainka was one of only six Soviet bases capable of handling...
, and Vozdvizhenka in the Far East.
Though basing forces in the Arctic would have posed more of a threat to North America, the hostile climate, poor logistical network, and weak defense network precluded such a plan. Therefore the Soviet Union created a network of standby Arctic staging bases ('Bounce airdromes'; ) under the control of OGA (Arctic Control Group), which would have been activated in wartime. These bases were airfields used for a short stop ("bounce") by airplanes for refueling and servicing for the purpose of extending the range of the flight, including long-range military
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
(their Staging base).
They primarily included Olenegorsk
Olenya (air base)
Olenya is a major Russian Navy reconnaissance base, located on the Kola Peninsula 92 km south of Murmansk. The base and its staff settlement across the Lake Permusozero from the city of Olenegorsk, and are served by the Olenegorsk rail station .Olenya serves as the headquarters for 5 MRAD...
, Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
Rogachevo
Rogachevo
Rogachevo is a military air base on Novaya Zemlya, Russia located 9 km northeast of Belushya Guba. It was originally used as a staging base for intercontinental Long Range Aviation bomber flights...
Airport, and Vorkuta Sovetskiy in the northwest; and Tiksi Airport
Tiksi Airport
Tiksi Aerodrome is located 1 km northeast of Tiksi, Russia and was built in the 1950s as a staging base for Soviet Long Range Aviation bombers to reach the United States . It is used regularly by Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft in military exercises, including one in 1999, in which bombers practice...
, Anadyr Ugolny Airport, and Mys Shmidta
Mys Shmidta
Mys Shmidta is an urban-type settlement in Iultinsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. The settlement is located about southeast of the cape of the same name. The cape, but not the settlement, was formerly known as North Cape or Cape North. Cape Billings is located to the west of...
in the northeast. High-Arctic bases such as Nagurskoye
Nagurskoye
Nagurskoye is an airfield in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia located 1350 km north of Murmansk. It is an extremely remote Arctic base...
and Greem-Bell may have been available to smaller aircraft, and the staging airfields Sredniy Ostrov, Dresba
Dresba
Dresba is an abandoned military airfield in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia located 343 km west of Pevek. It was built around 1960, but it is unknown whether the airfield was simply graded or if paved surfaces were built...
, Chekurovka
Chekurovka
Chekurovka is a noteworthy Arctic military airfield in Sakha Republic, Russia located 89 km southwest of Tiksi. It is a remote, large bomber staging base that was either abandoned during construction or commissioned for emergency use. It was probably built around 1960 as a forward deployment...
, and Tiksi North
Tiksi North
Tiksi North is a noteworthy military airfield in Russia located 41 km north of Tiksi. It is one of several very large airfields that were constructed in the Arctic regions around 1960 to handle Russian strategic bomber deployments, but never saw operational use...
were probably never completed. Though the Tu-95 could operate without the use of staging bases, nearly all other aircraft would have required the facilities in order to reach the United States .
Bomber crews were trained to be proficient in all basic aspects of strategic operations, including navigation, inflight refueling, air-to-surface missile strike procedures, Arctic staging, penetration tactics, and electronic countermeasures.
Under the Russian flag
With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Long Range Aviation entered a period of decline, along with the other former components of the Soviet Armed Forces. This culminated when the command was formally disbanded in 1998 as part of the amalgamation of the Russian Air Defence Force and the Air Forces. It was replaced by the 37th Air Army37th Air Army
The 37th Air Army of the High Supreme Command was the strategic bomber force of the Russian Air Force from 1998 to 2009...
of the Supreme High Command, which now numbers one regiment of around 15 Tupolev Tu-160
Tupolev Tu-160
The Tupolev Tu-160 is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Although several civil and military transport aircraft are larger in overall dimensions, the Tu-160 is currently the world's largest combat aircraft, largest...
, three regiments of Tu-95s, four regiments of Tupolev Tu-22M
Tupolev Tu-22M
The Tupolev Tu-22M is a supersonic, swing-wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Soviet Union. Significant numbers remain in service with the Russian Air Force....
s, and an air refueling regiment. Total aircraft strength is around 15 Tu-160s, 64 Tu-95MSs, 116 Tu-22M3s, and about 20 Il-78 refueling aircraft. Since the 2006 edition of the Military Balance, an additional Tu-160 has joined the force, raising the active number to 16 aircraft.
External links
- David Nowak, Cuba, Venezuela could host Russian bombers, report says, Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...