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Lipetsk air base

Coordinates: 52°38′6″N 39°26′42″E / 52.63500°N 39.44500°E / 52.63500; 39.44500
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Lipetsk
Lipetsk, Lipetsk Oblast in Russia
Satellite imagery of Lipetsk air base
Su-25SM, MiG-29UB, Su-24M2, Su-34 in 2012
Lipetsk is located in Lipetsk Oblast
Lipetsk
Lipetsk
Shown within Lipetsk Oblast
Lipetsk is located in Russia
Lipetsk
Lipetsk
Lipetsk (Russia)
Coordinates52°38′6″N 39°26′42″E / 52.63500°N 39.44500°E / 52.63500; 39.44500
TypeAir Base
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRussian Aerospace Forces
Site history
Built1960 (1960)
In use1960 - present
Airfield information
Elevation194 metres (636 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
15/33 3,000 metres (9,843 ft) Concrete

Lipetsk Air Base (also given as Lipetskiy, Lipetsky, Lipetsk-2, Shakhm 10, and Lipetsk West) is an air base in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia located 12 km northwest of Lipetsk. It is the chief combat training center of the Russian Aerospace Forces, analogous to the United States Air Force's Nellis Air Force Base.[1] The base is made up of two medium-sized airfields joined together.[citation needed]

The base is home to the 4th State Centre for Aircrew Training and Field Tests (4th GTsPAPVI), formerly the 4th Centre for Combat Application and Crew Training. Components of the 4th Centre include the 968th Instructor-Research Aviation Regiment (968th IISAP) and the 237th Air Force Display Centre of the Russian Air Force. I. N. Kozheduba - Russian Falcons.[2][3]

History

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In 1925, the Soviet government allowed Weimar Republic Germany to open an air combat school at Lipetsk: Lipetsk fighter-pilot school. That permitted Germany to evade treaty restrictions on the development of military aviation, while the Soviet Air Forces received technical advice and access to test results. By 1933, the Soviets concluded that the arrangement was not worthwhile, and the new German government agreed (for different reasons). The school was closed.[4][5][6]

The 4th Center of Combat Application and Conversion of Frontline Aviation, Russia's Top Gun school since around the 1960s, is the most well known unit on the base. Its chief, Col. Kharchevski, became famous after air combat exercises in the US and has become the personal pilot of President Putin.

From the 1960s to 1990, units stationed at Lipetsk include:

In 1992, the 968th Fighter Aviation Regiment arrived from Falkenberg in East Germany. It was flying Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 and Mikoyan MiG-29 aircraft in the mid-1990s. In 1992-1993 it became first a Research-Instructor Fighter Aviation Regiment and then a Research-Instructor Mixed Aviation Regiment.[10][11] Flying solely MiG-29s by 2004, it later also flew Sukhoi Su-24M aircraft.[8]

NASA's FIRMS detected extensive fire at a Lipetsk air base depot on 9 August 2024 00:01:00 (UTC)

On 8 August 2024, during the Russo-Ukrainian War, the airbase was struck by a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack that caused numerous explosions and fires.[12][13] A warehouse containing guided aerial bombs and other facilities near the airbase were hit, with multiple sources of ignition resulting in a massive fire and multiple detonations, according to the Ukrainian general staff. Damage to the aircraft at the base was still being assessed the morning after the attack. The governor of Lipetsk reported detonations and said that six people had been injured.[14] The fire at the air base facility was confirmed by NASA's FIRMS.

On 20 October 2024, the air base was attacked by Ukrainian drones with Ukrainian officials reporting that the attack was aimed at fuel, equipment and ammunition stored on the base.[15]

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Falcons of Russia aerobatic team from Lipetsk Air Base
Falcons of Russia solo aerobatics during Tambov 2008 airshow
Falcons of Russia solo aerobatics during Tambov 2008 airshow

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ukraine updates: Putin orders reinforcements to Kursk – DW – 08/09/2024". dw.com. Retrieved 2024-08-09. Ledwidge said the Kursk region is very important for gas supplies, as it is a conduit into Ukraine. As for Lipetsk, he said it is home "to the main training base of the Russian aerospace forces." For to this reason, he said Ukraine views Lipetsk as a valid military target.
  2. ^ "Russian Air Force today - Russian Western Military District". Eastern Order of Battle. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Russian Air Force - Lipetsk". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  4. ^ Sobolev, D. A.; Khazanov, D. B., A Secret Aviation School, retrieved 26 February 2011
  5. ^ Johnson, Robert (1998). "Planting the Dragon's Teeth: the German Air Combat School at Lipetsk". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  6. ^ Vercamer, Arvo; Pipes, Jason, German Military in the Soviet Union 1918-1933, retrieved 26 February 2011
  7. ^ a b "37 Vozdushnaya Armiya VGK". Brinkster.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-16.
  8. ^ a b Gordon, Yefim (2003). Sukhoi SU-24 (Russian Aircraft in Action). IP Media and Polygon Press. ISBN 1-932525-01-7.
  9. ^ Gordon, Yefim (2005). MiG-23/27 Flogger: Soviet Swing-Wing Fighter/Strike Aircraft. Midland. ISBN 9781857802115. 185780211X.
  10. ^ Holm, www.ww2.dk/new[dead link‍]
  11. ^ "968th Sevastopolskiy Red Banner order of Suvorov Fighter Aviation Regiment ( 968-й истребительный Севастопольский Краснознаменный ордена Суворова авиационный полк)". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  12. ^ Ukraine Hits Russian Airfields as It Presses Cross-Border Assault, New York Times, 15 August 2024.
  13. ^ Iordache, Ruxandra (9 August 2024). "Ukraine unleashes large drone attack on Russian airfield as Kyiv's offensive continues". CNBC. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  14. ^ Ukraine's General Staff confirms strike on Russian Lipetsk air base, Ukrainska Pravda via Yahoo News, 9 August 2024.
  15. ^ VLADYSLAVA KOVALENKO (2024-10-20). "Ukraine strikes Lipetsk-2 airfield in Russia: General Staff". RBC-Ukraine. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
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