Specialists of the Military Construction Complex of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation ahead of time completed the creation of a new runway with a length of 3450 m at the Belbek airfield, the press service of the military department reports. Now the air harbor has two runways that allow you to take all types of aircraft.

  • Panoramic view of the Belbek runway
  • © Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

“At the airport complex, 5 taxiways and 7 parking lots for IL-96 and A319 classes (civilian long-haul and medium-haul aircraft. - RT ) were built. The airfield is located 400 meters from the Black Sea coast. ... Construction materials were supplied from the Rostov Region, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, ”says the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

In the Crimea, there are eight airfields. The airspace of Kacha, Saki and Guards is used by the Russian Aerospace Forces. The 38th Fighter Aviation Regiment is stationed in Belbek as part of the 27th Mixed Aviation Division of the 4th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense of Russia.

“Jump Airfield”

Belbek is a dual-use airport located 8 km from Sevastopol. The air harbor was built in 1938 and was used exclusively for military purposes until the collapse of the USSR. In the early 1990s, the Ukrainian authorities launched a commercial message, but it was suspended several times.

Until 2014, simultaneously with civilian aircraft, the 204th Tactical Aviation Brigade (military unit A-4515) of the Ukrainian Air Force was based at the airfield. In the 1990s, there were Su-15TM interceptors and heavy Su-27 fighters in Belbek. In the 2000s, these aircraft were replaced by lightweight MiG-29 fighter jets and L-39M1 training aircraft.

In March 2014, the Ukrainian troops left the airfield. Already in April, the Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation began the formation of the 38th Fighter Regiment in Belbek. In November 2014, 16 Su-30 and Su-27SM2 ​​fighters were deployed from the Krasnodar Territory. Now about 30 combat aircraft are deployed at the aerodrome (Su-27SM, Su-30M2, Su-27P and Su-27UB).

“During the“ reign ”of Ukraine, Belbek fell into neglect. Russia reconstructed the old runway and began building a new one that can take vessels of any class, including heavy transport and strategic aviation, ”said Dmitry Drozdenko, a columnist for Arsenal of the Fatherland, told RT.

According to the expert, the airfield complex received a new aeronautical equipment and communications equipment. After modernization, Belbek can take transport aircraft Il-76, An-124, long-range bombers Tu-22M3, strategic missile carriers Tu-160 and Tu-95MS.

“Belbek is an airfield of deployment of operational-tactical aviation, but soon it can be used as a jump airfield for our strategists, who periodically carry out combat missions in Syria. First of all, we are talking about the Tu-22M3 ", - said Drozdenko.

  • Specialists of the technical service of the 38th aviation regiment are preparing the aircraft for departure
  • © Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The expert stressed that Belbek is of great importance for the security of the Crimea. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian fighters regularly escort NATO reconnaissance aircraft and strategic drones over the Black Sea.

On November 8, State Department spokesman Heather Nauert accused the Russian crew of the Su-27 “in irresponsible and aggressive behavior”, which became close to the United States Navy Lockheed EP-3E Aries electronic reconnaissance aircraft.

On November 5, the US Navy reported that the fighter of the VKS "made a high-speed flight directly in front of the plane, putting the pilots and crew at risk." In particular, the Su-27 allegedly twice used the afterburner mode, which caused turbulence and vibrations. The Russian Defense Ministry denies the accusations of the Americans, noting that the interception took place at a safe distance.

“Crimea is of great strategic importance in the region. This is really our "unsinkable aircraft carrier." Back in 2015, a self-sufficient grouping of troops was created there. NATO, of course, does not like this state of affairs, and therefore Russia's military activity is of high interest to US intelligence, ”military expert Yury Knutov explained in the RT commentary.

The expert believes that the Russian Defense Ministry has made the right choice by posting upgraded versions of the super-maneuverable Su-30 and Su-27 fighter jets. Two squadrons of these machines are quite enough to provide support, and, if necessary, intercept aviation of a potential enemy.

Airport Sharing

Dmitry Drozdenko is sure that the commissioning of the new runway will allow the successful development of the entire airfield complex. After the reunification of the Crimea with the Russian Federation, Belbek ceased to function as a civil air harbor. Currently, it is not certified for accepting commercial flights and can only be used for military needs and lettered flights (transportation of valuable cargo or VIPs).

In September 2014, and. the governor of Sevastopol Sergey Menyaylo said that Belbek should receive international status. According to him, the airfield is capable of providing one or two long-haul wide-body aircraft such as Boeing-747, as well as “five-six landings of Tu-154 type airplanes, several small-sized business class aircraft” every day.

Full operation of the civil part of Belbek is scheduled for 2020. Sevastopol Air Harbor should be a branch of the Simferopol airport. To launch a commercial flight, the government plans to modernize the air terminal complex and other necessary infrastructure. 1.7 billion rubles were allocated for these purposes in the federal targeted program for the development of the Crimea until 2020.

The material property of Belbek will be on the balance sheet of the Ministry of Defense. Also, the military department will retain a priority in the use of airspace and in addressing security issues.

Drozdenko sees no problems in the joint exploitation of Belbek by military and civilian specialists. According to him, this is a fairly common practice in the world. The expert cited the example of the use of the Israeli Air Force Air Force Ben-Gurion Airport.

“In 2020, the Crimean Bridge will work at full capacity, but this does not negate the importance of Belbek for civilian needs. The second full-fledged airport is still needed by the Crimea. Such strategic facilities are simply not superfluous, and under the wing of the Ministry of Defense, Belbek will successfully develop, ”Drozdenko said.