Chita Northwest air base

Chita Northwest is an air base in Russia located 5 km northwest of Chita. It is also informally called "Cheryomushki". Located on Chita's north side, this base contains a number of hangars and ramp areas. It is not to be confused with Chita Kadala Airport 10 km to its southwest. It is the home of the 112th Independent Helicоpter Regiment.[1]

Chita-2 (UIAI)
Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai in Russia
Satellite imagery of Chita Northwest air base
Chita-2 is located in Zabaykalsky Krai
Chita-2
Chita-2
Shown within Zabaykalsky Krai
Chita-2 is located in Russia
Chita-2
Chita-2
Chita-2 (Russia)
Coordinates52°4′0″N 113°26′0″E / 52.06667°N 113.43333°E / 52.06667; 113.43333
TypeAir Base
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRussian Aerospace Forces
Site history
Built1920s
In use-present
Airfield information
IdentifiersICAO: UIAI
Elevation677 metres (2,221 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
15/33 2,500 metres (8,202 ft) Concrete

The runway was reconstructed in 2014.[2]

History

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The airport was initially built in the late 1920s and previously hosted civilian aircraft. During Second World War, units of the 12th Air Army were stationed at Chita Northwest.[2]

In 2002 the 112th Independent Helicopter Regiment came under the control of the 11th Air and Air Defence Forces Army and arrived at the airfield.[3][2] The regiment had been created on 29 July 1968 from the previous 172nd Independent Helicopter Squadron. From 1967 the regiment carried the Military Unit Number (v/ch) 21812. As a squadron and as a regiment, up until 2002, it had been part of the 36th Combined Arms Army of the Transbaikal Military District. It had been based at Nerchinsk, Chita Oblast. In 1981 it was redesignated as the 112th independent transport and combat helicopter regiment.[4] Initially, the regiment used Mil Mi-4 multi-purpose and Mil Mi-6 heavy transport helicopters, then the formation received Mi-8, since 1981 Mi-24 attack helicopters. The regiment also had Mi-10PP jamming helicopters.[5]

During the reform of the Russian Armed Forces in 2010, the 112th Regiment was reorganized into the 439th Army Aviation Base of the 3rd Air and Air Defence Forces Command.[5]

In 2014, the runway was reconstructed.[2]

 
Insignia of the 112th Independent Helicopter Regiment

In 2017, the 439th Army Aviation Base was reorganized back into the 112th Independent Helicopter Regiment.[6]

On March 14, 2020 a Mi-8 military helicopter (according to other data Mi-35M[7]) from the Cheryomushki airfield became irritated[clarification needed] by a residential building and fired a 23-mm cannon at it. There were no injuries as a result of the incident, and no major destruction.[8]

The 2nd Independent Aviation Squadron of the National Guard of Russia was based at the field in 2022, operating Mil Mi-8MTV-2 helicopters as part of the service's Siberian Regional Command.[9] The base was also home to the 810 Aviation Repair Plant in 2022, which performs aviation maintenance on helicopters.[10][11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Orbats". www.scramble.nl. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  2. ^ a b c d "Аэродром «Черёмушки» перенесут за пределы Читы" [Cheryomushki airfield will be moved outside of Chita]. zab.ru. 11 May 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-05-16.
  3. ^ "112th independent Helicopter Regiment". 2015.
  4. ^ Feskov et al 2013, pp. 256, 573.
  5. ^ a b https://lenta.ru/news/2017/07/13/vertol/ "The media learned about the creation of a helicopter regiment in Transbaikalia". Lenta. 2017-07-13. Archived from .ru/news/2017/07/13/vertol/ the original on 2021-01-31. Retrieved 2021-01-31. {{cite web}}: Check |archiveurl= value (help); Check |url= value (help)
  6. ^ .. /news/2017/07/13/vertol/ "The media learned about the creation of a helicopter regiment in Transbaikalia". Lenta. 2017-07-13. Archived from [https:// .. /news/2017/07/13/vertol/ the original] on 2021-01-31. Retrieved 2021-01-31. {{cite web}}: Check |archive-url= value (help); Check |url= value (help)
  7. ^ "A military helicopter accidentally attacked a high-rise building in Chita, Russia". hromadske.ua. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-03-29. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  8. ^ Gazeta.ru. "It happened by accident: Mi-8 struck a residential house in Chita". gazeta.ru. Archived from the original on 2022-05-11. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  9. ^ "Chita/Cheremushki (Chita-2) (UIAI) - National Guard". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Chita/Cheremushki (Chita-2) (UIAI) - Aircraft Repair Plants". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  11. ^ "810 aviation repair shop". rhc.aero. Archived from the original on 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-09-05.