Afrikanda (air base)

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Afrikanda
Afrikanda, Murmansk Oblast in Russia
Satellite imagery of the former Afrikanda air base
Afrikanda Shown within Murmansk Oblast Show map of Murmansk Oblast Afrikanda Afrikanda (Russia) Show map of Russia
Coordinates	67°27′24″N 32°47′12″E / 67.45667°N 32.78667°E / 67.45667; 32.78667
Type	Air Base
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Russian Air Force
Site history
In use	Unknown - 2000 (2000)
Airfield information
Identifiers	ICAO: XLMF
Elevation	154 metres (505 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 10/28  Concrete

Afrikanda is a former military air base in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located just north of the village of the same name. Though it is built for fighter operations with 30 revetments, it has largely served the interceptor aircraft role.

Western intelligence services reported jet fighters operating from Afrikanda as early as 1953.^[1] From 1953, the 431st Fighter Aviation Regiment (431 IAP) was stationed at the base, which became the 431 Regiment PVO in 1960. From 1960 the regiment was part of the 21st Air Defence Corps.^[2] It served through the whole Cold War; in 1978 a Sukhoi Su-15 was launched from Afrikanda to intercept Korean Air Flight 902, a Boeing 707 which was later forcefully landed; and in 1990, according to Conventional Forces in Europe data exchanges, it had 39 Sukhoi Su-15TM interceptor aircraft. In September 1993 it was merged with the 641 Guards IAP and became the 470th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. The regiment also operated a number of Su-27 aircraft.

The 470 Guards IAP disbanded on 30 November 2000 and the base was closed.^[3][4][5]