Engels-2 air base

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Engels-2
Энгельс-2
Engels, Saratov Oblast in Russia
Satellite imagery of Engels-2 air base
Engels-2 Location of Engels-2 Show map of Saratov Oblast Engels-2 Engels-2 (Russia) Show map of Russia
Coordinates	51°28′52″N 46°12′38″E / 51.48111°N 46.21056°E / 51.48111; 46.21056
Type	Air base
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Russian Aerospace Forces
Controlled by	Long-Range Aviation
Condition	Operational
Site history
Built	1952 (1952)
Built by	Soviet Armed Forces
In use	1954–present
Battles/wars	2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine[1]
Garrison information
Garrison	184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: none, ICAO: XWSG
Elevation	37 metres (121 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 04/22 3,500 metres (11,483 ft) Concrete 04R/22L 3,500 metres (11,483 ft) Concrete

Engels-2 (Russian: Энгельс) is a strategic bomber military airbase in Russia located 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) east of Saratov. Engels is a major bomber operations base, and is Russia's sole operating location for the Tupolev Tu-160 (NATO: Blackjack) strategic bomber. The base has a 3,500-metre (11,500 ft) runway and about 10 large revetments. It is named after the nearby city of Engels, which is named after the Communist philosopher, Friedrich Engels.

As of 2022^[update], the base was home to the 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment with the Tu-160M and 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment with the Tupolev Tu-95MS (NATO: Bear-H) of the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division.^[2]

Aircraft from the 121st and 184th attacked Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[3] On 5 December and 22 December 2022, drone attacks on the base damaged an undetermined number of aircraft.