Nagurskoye (air base)

Nagurskoye (Russian: Нагу́рское; also written as Nagurskoye, or Nagurskaja) (ICAO: UODN) is an airfield in Alexandra Land in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia located 1,350 kilometres (840 mi) north of Murmansk. It is an extremely remote Arctic base and Russia's northernmost military base.[2] The base is named after Polish-Russian pilot Jan Nagórski.

Nagurskoye

Нагурское
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorRussian Air Force
LocationAlexandra Land, Franz Josef Land[1]
Opened1947
Elevation AMSL59 ft / 18 m
Coordinates80°47′55″N 047°28′47″E
Map
Nagurskoye
Location within Russia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11,500 3,500

Nagurskoye was built in 1950s as a staging base for Soviet Long Range Aviation bombers to reach the US, and was maintained by the Russian Air Force agency OGA (Arctic Control Group), which maintained all Arctic bomber staging facilities. An An-72 (Coaler) cargo plane crashed here on December 23, 1996 while attempting to land, one of the northernmost plane crashes ever. The airfield is believed to be operational, maintained by Frontier Guards (FSB) and capable of servicing An-26 and An-72 aircraft. Il-76 cargo aircraft can land at each of the two runways and have been carrying supplies, equipment and personnel.

Satellite photographs from September 2015 show a new base without armored vehicles or air defenses. Instead, the base consists of a central structure, several supporting structures such as fuel depots and heating installations, old and new runways, as well as anchorages that allow for the delivery of construction materials and supplies.[3][1]

Satellite photos by Planet Labs from 13 August 2020 show that the newer runway was extended from 8,200 ft to 11,500 ft. The runway expansion can support permanent deployments of combat jets to Moscow's most northerly base. Deploying interceptors, maritime strike fighters, airborne early warning and maritime patrol aircraft at Nagurskoye would give Russia a significant military edge in the Arctic, while refueling long-range bombers there would noticeably extend their range.[4]

References
  1. "Russia unveils new Arctic military base". 18 April 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2019 – via www.bbc.com.
  2. Staalesen, Atle; Observer, The Independent Barents (22 April 2016). "Fighter jets for Russia's new Arctic base". rcinet.ca. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  3. "Russia in the Arctic: A Different Kind of Military Presence". Stratfor Global Intelligence. 11 November 2015.
  4. "Image Shows Russia Extending Runway At Arctic Base, Could Support Fighter Jets, Bombers". The Drive. 21 August 2020.


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