Pryluky (air base)

Pryluky
IATA: noneICAO: UKBP
Summary
Airport type Military
Operator Ukrainian Air Force
Location Pryluky
Elevation AMSL 449 ft / 137 m
Coordinates 50°34′0″N 032°19′0″E / 50.56667°N 32.31667°E / 50.56667; 32.31667Coordinates: 50°34′0″N 032°19′0″E / 50.56667°N 32.31667°E / 50.56667; 32.31667
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
17/35 9,842 3,000 Concrete
2,500 Concrete

Pryluky (also given as Priluki) is an air base in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine located 6 km west of Pryluky. This airfield was Ukraine's primary Tupolev Tu-160 bomber base (with Uzyn having the nation's Tupolev Tu-95 fleet). There are revetments for 20 large aircraft.

Pryluky accepted the USSR's first Tu-160 (Blackjack) in April 1987, building its fleet up to 19 by 1994. By the mid 1990s, the Pryluky Regiment had lost its value as a combat unit. The 184th GvTBAP's 19 "Blackjacks" were effectively grounded because of a lack of technical support, spare parts and fuel. At this point in time, Ukraine considered the Tu-160s more of a bargaining chip in their economic negotiations with Russia. Certainly, they were of very limited value to Ukraine from a military standpoint, but discussions with Russia concerning their return bogged down. Between October 1999 and February 2000 Ukraine turned over 8 Tu-160 bombers to Russia to pay off energy debts; these are now at Russia's Engels-2 air base.

Units stationed at Pryluky included:

References

  1. Piotr Butowski, International Air Power Review, Summer 2004, 81.
  2. 1 2 "Dal'nyaya Aviatsiya". Aviabaza KPOI.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, June 14, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.