Dyagilevo (air base) explained

Dyagilevo
Ryazan/Dyagilevo
Ensign:Flag of the Russian Aerospace Forces.svg
Ensign Size:90px
Native Name:авиабаза Дягилево
Location:Ryazan, Ryazan Oblast
Country:Russia
Type:Air Base
Pushpin Map:Russia Ryazan Oblast#Russia
Pushpin Map Caption:Shown within Ryazan Oblast
Pushpin Label:Dyagilevo
Ownership:Ministry of Defence
Operator:Russian Aerospace Forces
Controlledby:Long-Range Aviation
Used:- present
Elevation:134m (440feet)
R1-Number:06/24
R1-Length:3000m (10,000feet)
R1-Surface:Concrete

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.

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

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.

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

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 ARZ) located at the base was placed under sanctions of the European Union and USA due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[8] [9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ryazan/Dyagilevo (UUBD). Scramble.nl. 4 December 2022.
  2. Book: Gordon, Yefim . Tupelov Tu-22 'Blinder' Tu-22M 'Backfire' . Midland Publishing . 1999 . 1-85780-065-6 .
  3. Book: Butowski, Pyotr . International Air Power Review : Air Power Analysis: Russian Federation. AIRtime Publishing, Inc . Summer 2004 .
  4. Michael Holm, 49th Instructor Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, accessed August 2012.
  5. Web site: 43rd Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Personnel DA . Ww2.dk . 2022-09-17.
  6. News: Explosions rock two Russian airbases far from Ukraine frontline. Andrew. Roth. Pjotr. Sauer. 2022-12-05. 2022-12-05. The Guardian .
  7. News: Russia launches drone attack on Kyiv, Ukraine hails air defences . Tom Balmforth and Pavel Polityuk . 2022-12-14. 2022-12-14. Reuters .
  8. Web site: en. Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2478. Official Journal of the European Union. European Union law. 2022-12-16. 2023-01-20. 2022-12-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20221225115137/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2022/2478/oj. live.
  9. Web site: ru. JSC "360 AIRCRAFT REPAIR PLANT". War and sanctions. 2023-01-20. 2023-01-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20230120234915/https://sanctions.nazk.gov.ua/ru/sanction-company/3470/. live.