Dyagilevo (air base)

Summary

Dyagilevo (also given as Dyagilevo, Ryazan Dyagilevo) is an air base in Ryazan Oblast, Russia, 3 km west of Ryazan. It serves as a training center for Russia's strategic bomber force.

Dyagilevo
Ryazan/Dyagilevo
авиабаза Дягилево
Ryazan, Ryazan Oblast in Russia
Dyagilevo is located in Ryazan Oblast
Dyagilevo
Dyagilevo
Shown within Ryazan Oblast
Dyagilevo is located in Russia
Dyagilevo
Dyagilevo
Dyagilevo (Russia)
Coordinates54°38′30″N 039°34′18″E / 54.64167°N 39.57167°E / 54.64167; 39.57167
TypeAir Base
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRussian Aerospace Forces
Controlled byLong-Range Aviation
Site history
In use- present
Airfield information
IdentifiersICAO: UUBD
Elevation134 metres (440 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
06/24 3,000 metres (9,843 ft) Concrete

The base is home to the 203rd Guards Orlovsky Independent Aircraft-refuelling Aviation Regiment with the Ilyushin Il-78/78M and the 49th Instructor Red Banner Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment as part of the 43rd Guards Oryol Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Long-Range Aviation Flight Personnel.[1]

The Ryazan Museum of Long-Range Aviation is located on the base.

History edit

In 1955 it was one of only 6 Soviet bases capable of handling the Myasishchev M-4 bomber. In 1967 it had 7 Tupolev Tu-22s used for training.[2] In 1973 it received 2 Tupolev Tu-22M (NATO: Backfire) aircraft.[2] It was also home to 43 TsBPiPLS (43rd Center for Combat Application and Training of Air Crew) which included the Tu-22M, Tupolev Tu-95MS (NATO: Bear), and Tupolev Tu-134UBL (NATO: Crusty) trainer.[3] In 1985 the 49 TBAP (49th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment) arrived at Dyagilevo, flying Tu-22M and Tu-95 aircraft and eventually converting into an ITBAP (training regiment). The 49th Regiment was part of the 43rd Centre, and eventually disbanded in 1997.[4]

By 1994 it received 24 Tu-95K (Bear-G) bombers for decommissioning under the START II treaty. A number of Tu-16, Tu-22, and M-4 aircraft are mothballed here.[citation needed]

As of 2009, the ww2.dk website reported that three units were active at the airbase.[5]

  • 1st Instructor Heavy Bomber Aviation Squadron (Tu-22M3 and Tu-134)
  • 2nd Instructor Heavy Bomber Aviation Squadron (Tu-95MS and An-26)
  • 43rd Guards Orlovskiy Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Personnel
 
Ilyushin Il-78M at Dyagilevo

Air Power Review reported in 2004 that the 203rd Independent Orel Air Regiment of Guards (Air Tankers) operating Il-78 and Il-78M was stationed at the base. Formed 6 July 1941 at Monino near Moscow as the 412th Aviation Regiment, with TB-7 (Pe-8) heavy bombers. Renamed 432nd AP several weeks later. Renamed 25th AP DD of Guards 19 September 1943. 1230th AP (SZ) renamed 203rd OAP (SZ) 1 December 1994.[3]

On 5 December 2022, the base was attacked by Ukrainian drones which damaged a Tu-22M3 bomber and destroyed a fuel truck; three personnel were killed and five injured.[6] The Engels Air Force Base was also raided on the same night. On 14 December, a Shahed-136 drone that exploded in a Kyiv apartment building had “For Ryazan“ written on it in Russian.[7]

By December 2022, the 360 Aircraft Repair Factory [ru] (360 ARZ) located at the base was placed under sanctions of the European Union and USA due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[8][9]

References edit

  1. ^ "Ryazan/Dyagilevo (UUBD)". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b Gordon, Yefim (1999). Tupelov Tu-22 'Blinder' Tu-22M 'Backfire'. Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-065-6.
  3. ^ a b Butowski, Pyotr (Summer 2004). International Air Power Review : Air Power Analysis: Russian Federation. AIRtime Publishing, Inc.
  4. ^ Michael Holm, 49th Instructor Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, accessed August 2012.
  5. ^ "43rd Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Personnel DA". Ww2.dk. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  6. ^ Roth, Andrew; Sauer, Pjotr (2022-12-05). "Explosions rock two Russian airbases far from Ukraine frontline". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  7. ^ Tom Balmforth and Pavel Polityuk (2022-12-14). "Russia launches drone attack on Kyiv, Ukraine hails air defences". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  8. ^ Official Journal of the European Union (2022-12-16). "Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2478". European Union law. Archived from the original on 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  9. ^ "JSC "360 AIRCRAFT REPAIR PLANT"". War and sanctions (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2023-01-20. Retrieved 2023-01-20.