Step (air base)
Step (also Olovyannaya) is an air base in Chita, Russia located 14 km northwest of Yasnogorsk. It is a large air base with two revetment areas and numerous military fortifications. It is near an SS-11 missile field that was dismantled in the mid-1990s.
| Step Olovyannaya | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai in Russia | |||||||
Step Shown within Zabaykalsky Krai Step Step (Russia) | |||||||
| Coordinates | 51°1′0″N 115°26′0″E | ||||||
| Type | Air Base | ||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||
| Operator | Russian Aerospace Forces | ||||||
| Controlled by | 11th Air and Air Defence Forces Army | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1948 | ||||||
| In use | 1948 - present | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO: XIAS | ||||||
| |||||||
The 849th Assault Aviation Regiment, part of the 253rd Assault Aviation Division, was stationed at Step up until 1956.
Units stationed at Step/Olovyannaya include:
- 6th Aviation Regiment of Fighter-Bombers (6 APIB) flying Sukhoi Su-17 in the late 1980s; under 23rd Air Army, Transbaikal Military District.
- 58th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (58 APIB) flying Su-17M3 and L-29 aircraft in the late 1980s, and receiving MiG-27 in the early 1990s. It was under 23rd Air Army (Trans-Baikal).
- 266th Independent Shturmovik Aviation Regiment (266th Assault Aviation Regiment, 266 OShAP) flying Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft. Disbanded circa 2009.
The base appears to have been closed after a boiler room fire in December 2009. Thereafter, the base was reopened and the 266th Independent Shturmovik Aviation Regiment was reformed with at least two squadrons of Sukhoi-25s in 2019. The regiment by this time had been shifted into the Eastern Military District's 11th Air and Air Defence Forces Army.