Rogachevo (air base)
Rogachevo (recorded in various sources as Belushya, Rogachvo, or Rogatschovo) is a military air base on Novaya Zemlya, Russia located near the settlement of Rogachevo, 9 km northeast of Belushya Guba. It was originally used as a staging base for intercontinental Long Range Aviation bomber flights (as a so-called 'bounce' airdrome). The base developed an interceptor role during the 1960s, partly to deter Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird operations in the Arctic region.
| Rogachevo Amderma-2 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rogachevo, Novaya Zemlya, Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia | |||||||
Rogachevo Shown within Novaya Zemlya Rogachevo Rogachevo (Russia) | |||||||
| Coordinates | 71°37′0″N 052°28′42″E | ||||||
| Type | Air Base | ||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||
| Operator | Russian Air Force | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1972 | ||||||
| In use | 1972 - present | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO: ULDR | ||||||
| Elevation | 83 metres (272 ft) AMSL | ||||||
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Rogachevo's primary operating unit is the 641 Gv IAP (641st Guards Interceptor Aviation Regiment). It used Yakovlev Yak-28P (NATO: Firebar) aircraft, then received the Sukhoi Su-27 (NATO: Flanker) in 1985. It is possible that in 1993 the unit may have dispersed to Afrikanda. During the 1970s Tupolev Tu-28 (NATO: Fiddler) aircraft deployed frequently to Rogachevo from southern locales. Around 1990 Mikoyan MiG-31 (NATO: Foxhound) aircraft were deployed on occasion. Rogachevo was largely tied to its rear air station, Naryan-Mar Airport. In 2017, Russia finished new construction on the air base focused on updating technology and adding more social infrastructure.