Военный аэродром Ростов-на-Дону - Центральный | Military Airfield Rostov-on-Don - Central (XRRO)

Flag of the Soviet Air Force -Wikipedia

The military airport to the Northwest end of Rostov-on-Don caught my eye a while back, and I wanted to figure out what it had been used for in the Cold War.

Looking at open-source satellite imagery it was obvious that the airport was, or had been, military from the alert aprons with hard stands surrounded by berms at the end of the runway.  But did they have nuclear weapons?  Did this base house some of the Soviet Long Range Aviation force?  No to both.  This was a fighter-interceptor base during the Cold War with MIG-31 (МиГ-31) and MIG-25 (МиГ-25) aircraft, part of the 83rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, not part of Long Range Aviation; therefore no nuclear weapons would have been in storage.

The airfield is still very much in use; I believe by the 535th Mixed Aviation Regiment and 546th Army Aviation Air Base.  Photos are readily available on PlaneSpotters.net showing the variety of aircraft that operate from the airport.  According to Jane's, the 535th flies the An-26, An-72, An-26, and L 410UVP while the 546th flies a variety of attack, assault and transport helicopters such as the Mi-35M, Mi-24P, Mi-28N, Mi-8, Mi-26 and Ka-52 (shown in below embedded video).

View Larger Map

If you are not familiar withe Russian geography, here is where Rostov-on-Don is located


Victory Day Day Parade / Air Show over Rostov on Don May 9th 2015


Credit:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/av-orbat-1997.htm
http://www.airportsearch.info/airports/Europe/Russia/Rostov-Oblast/RostovnaDonu-Tsentralny-Air-Base/RU-0372.php
Jane's

Fotiy Krylov (СБ-135 Фотий Крылов) - A Six Hour Tour?

Sleeve Insignia of the
Russian Pacific Fleet

I signed up for MarineTraffic.com's notification service to tell me when ships of (my) interest come and go from Port. I'd sort of forgotten I'd done so, as I hadn't received a notice from any of my alerts lately. AIS transponders on military ships get turned off when they're being stealthy; but a ship that
wears more than one hat might choose not turn off their transponder, else it would be suspicious. One such ship, that I strongly believe serves multiple roles, is the Fotiy Krylov (СБ-135 Фотий Крылов IMO:8613346 MMSI:273441150). The Fotiy Krylov is the twin of the Nikolay Chiker (СБ-131 Николай Чикер IMO:8613334 MMSI:273543910), but serves the Pacific fleet, sailing out of the home of the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet,Vladivostok (Владивосто́к) from what roughly translates to Golden Horn Bay, or Zolotoy Rog Bay (Золотой Рог) .

You may remember that the Nikolai Chiker was zig-zagging around the east coast of the US and Caribbean last year, in tight patterns, executing what I can only presume was a search for something, or survey of something uncharted (read: DoD underwater sensors).

Fotiy Krylov (СБ-135 Фотий Крылов)

Photo Credit: Unknown | Location: Port of Limassol

Both ships have very unique capabilities; underwater cameras, specialized gear, and a moon pool allowing un-monitored underwater operations. The ships are officially ocean going tugs, but I believe they are used for much more.

The Krylov left Vladivostok, executed some very interesting maneuvers at sea, and returned to harbour back at Vladivostok... all in 6 hours. From the pattern, what do you think they were doing?  That's more than a casual shake-down or idle cruise.

It looks to me like they were steering in large sweeping patterns listening for something, found something, and returned to the military side of the port.  Whatever it was, they didn't have an exact location of it, but circled in when they found what they were looking for.

The question is, what did they retrieve?

Я бы очень хотел недавний снимок корабля Фотий Крылов в золотой рог!

From my previous post, I aggregated as much open source information as I could, and compiled the following specifications for the Fotiy Krylov (and Nikolay Chiker, its twin).  These are the largest and strongest ocean going tugs in the world.

Baklazhan (Project 5757) Class Tug
 

Ship Name	No.	IMO	MSSI	Fleet	Launched	Commissioned
Nicolay Chiker	SB-131	8613334	273458540	Northern Fleet	1988-04-19	1989-04-12
Fotiy Krylov	SB-135	8613346	273441150	Pacific Fleet	1988-09-09	1989-06-29

Built by Hollming Oy, Rauma, Finland Keel Laid 1987   Standard Displacement 7417 tonnes (7299.9 (uk) t) (8175.8 t (short)) (7417000 kg) Full Load 8128 tonnes (7999.6 (uk) t) (8959.6 t (short)) (8128000 kg) Length overall: 99.0 m Beam overall: 19.5 m (64.0 ft) Draught hull: 7.1 m (23.3 ft) top speed: 18 kt (33.3 km/h) (20.7 mph) Standard Range 11000 n miles (20372.0 km) (12658.6 miles) at 16 kt (29.6 km/h) (18.4 mph) Machinery: 4 Wärtsilä Vasa 12V32 diesels; 24,160 hp(m) (17.76 MW); 2 shafts; controllable-pitch propellers; bow thruster; 1,360 hp(m) (1 MW) Firepower: None Complement: 51 plus 20 spare berths Radars: 2 Nyada MR-212/201 Vaygach-U (NATO: Palm Frond) navigation radars; I-band Cost: $50M ea "Both ships constructed by Hollming, Rauma, Finland. Laid down in 1987 and entered service with the Soviet Navy in 1989. Under ownership of Russian company Sovfracht, operated by Greek company Tsavliris during the 1990s before returning to Russian naval service in about 2006. Both tugs are probably still available for commercial use. Equipped with three water cannons." -Jane's Fighting Ships "Built by Hollming (Rauma), Helsinki and completed 12 April 1989. A second of class A Krylov SB 135 completed 30 June 1989 but was sold illegally to Greece in March 1993 and for a short time renamed Tsavliris Giant. These are the largest salvage tugs in the world with a 250 ton bollard pull on each of two towing winches with a third 60 ton winch. The crew includes two divers and there are two decompression chambers. Four firefighting foam/water guns are fitted on the bridge/mast. Designed to operate in extreme temperatures. SB 131 is in the Northern Fleet." -Jane's Fighting Ships "Rescue tug "Nikoli Chiker" was built in 1989 in Finland, commissioned by the Navy of the USSR. It was intended to be used primarily for towing large ships, ie, aircraft carriers, and conduct rescue operations. The construction of these two vessels, this one and the class leader the "Foty Krilov", cost the navy $ 50 million. Immediately after construction during the tests, type "Fory Krylov" was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the vessel which can create the most powerful traction when towing. Power plant is 25, 000 horsepower. These characteristics, as well as design features allow it to tow vessels of up to 250 thousand tons at a rough sea at eight points at a speed of four knots. Performance still unrivaled. Although by designation it is just a tug boat, even the most powerful in the world, this hides its other capabilities. This is a rescue complex. Installed on it is diving equipment which allows for complex deep-water work. It is equipped with a pressure chamber, dry suits, underwater cameras, the means to blur the ground, underwater welding and cutting, metal detectors. In addition to all tug capable apply for ships in distress flame retardant liquid, using their own equipment to extinguish fires. Helipad supports all-weather 24-hour operation of the helicopter with refueling. Fully equipped operating room and three wards." -Warfare.ru, Wikimapia "The moored lifting power of these tugs is 230 tons. Each is equipped with diving equipment for depths of up to 60 meters (nearly 197 feet). The tugs are also equipped with two 8-ton capacity cranes. They are also equipped with water cannon. Additional equipment includes a 3-ton capacity crane; two 32-ton salvage winches; two 10-ton salvage winches; two 150-ton towing winches; one 60-ton towing winch; two 400-ton cable/chain stoppers; a 250-ton bollard pull and a 441-pound transfer system for dry cargo and personnel. HULL: These ships have a burly profile. The raked bow has a large-radius nose rimmed with a bulwark, a forecastle extending well aft, tall superstructure topped by a bridge with 360-deg visibility, paired stacks on the after corners of the superstructure and a low-freeboard stern with curved counter. The helicopter platform is forward of the bridge and can accept a medium helicopter. The ships began service in the Soviet navy. Both were named in 1991. FOTIY KRYLOV was leased to a Greek commercial company in 1992 and renamed M/V GIANT, then renamed again as TSAVLIRIS GIANT. NICOLAY CHIKER also was leased to a Greek company. In 1995, both were returned for further service in the Russian navy." -MilitaryPeriscope.com Credit: Lloyd's Register - Fairplay's Internet Ships Register Jane's Fighting Ships MilitaryPeriscope.com warfare.ru Wikipedia Last recorded position:

NEWS: Russia to fly Open Skies treaty flights over the US between September 21 - 29

Tu-154M Lk-1
Photo Credit: Mark Kwiatkowski

It fascinates me that every time there is an Open Skies Treaty-sanctioned overflight of the US by a Russian spy observation plane (in accordance with the treaty it has US personnel on board too) there isn't a peep in the US Media.  I can only assume this is because Americans would freak out and riot of they knew they were being photographed from above by a Russian observation flight.

ITAR-TASS: Russia - Russian inspectors to make Open Skies flight over US

MOSCOW, September 21. /ITAR-TASS/. A group of inspectors will begin a monitoring flight by observation aircraft Tu-154M Lk-1 over the United States under the International Open Skies Treaty, the acting head of the Russian National Centre for Reduction of Nuclear Danger told Itar-Tass.

“An observation flight at a maximum distance of up to 4,900 kilometres will be made from September 21 to 29 from the Open Skies airfield Wright-Patterson, Ohio,” Ruslan Shishin said.

The Russian observation aircraft would make a flight on a route coordinated with a party under observation and American specialists aboard the airplane would control how monitoring equipment was used and the treaty’s clauses were fulfilled, he said.

The observation flight is made to make military activity of the signatory nations to the treaty more open and transparent and to step up security through higher confidence-building measures. This is the 30th flight Russia makes over the territory of the treaty’s signatories in 2014.

The Treaty on Open Skies was signed in 1992. As many as 34 countries joined the agreement. Observation flights are made over Russia, the U.S., Canada and European states. Open Skies top tasks are development of transparency, assistance to supervision over fulfilment of the arms control agreements, broader capacities to avert crises and settle crisis situations within the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and other international organisations.

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/750548

Air Bases Where Heavy Bombers Were/Are Based

TU-95 Bear-H - April 23rd 2014
Photo Credit: Unnamed RAF Typhoon pilot from RAF Leuchars
http://theaviationist.com/2014/04/25/raf-releases-photo-bear/

Nuclear-capable heavy bombers were based at the following air bases in the former Soviet Union and United States.  These locations were published by the US Government and relate to the START treaties, and I've just correlated with Wikipedia, Wikimapia, and put some push pins on the map.  You'll notice that the US bases are very much intact and active, and some of the former Soviet bases have become Russian bases, with the same planes, or the planes pulled back from Kazakhstan and Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR - also, very active. 

Barksdale Air Force Base, LA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barksdale_Air_Force_Base

Dyess Air Force Base, TX
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyess_Air_Force_Base

Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellsworth_Air_Force_Base

Minot Air Force Base, ND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minot_Air_Force_Base

Whiteman Air Force Base, MO
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiteman_Air_Force_Base

Information about the matching Soviet (now Russian) air bases seems harder to pin down, at least all in one spot, but the START treaties and other sources define them as the following.  There is an impressive line-up of TU-95 long range bombers on the tarmac at Ukrainka and Engels-2, but we can't really tell how many of those planes are air-worthy.

Engels Air Base (Энгельс-2)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engels-2

Dyagilevo Air Base (Дягилево) (UUBD)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyagilevo

Ukrainka Air Base (Украинка)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainka_(air_base)

Uzyn (now Ukraine)

NA - (49°47'33"N, 30°26'14"E)

Pryluky (now Ukraine)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pryluky_%28air_base%29

Dolon Air Base (Погода) (Now Kazakhstan)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolon_%28air_base%29

Belaya Air Base / Irkutsk Belaya (Белая) (UIIB)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belaya_(air_base)

Vozdvizhenka Air Base

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vozdvizhenka_(air_base)

Ozerne Air Base (Озерное) (UKKO)

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozerne_(air_base)

Ulan-Ude Airport (Mukhino) (Мухино)

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulan-Ude_Vostochny_Airport

Nizhyn Air Base (now Ukraine)

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nizhyn_(air_base)

Shatalovo Air Base (Шаталово)

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatalovo_(air_base)

Zavitinsk Air Base (Завитинск)

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zavitinsk_(air_base)

The Soviet strategy would have been to launch the heavy bombers from those bases, and those which had to refuel would do so at "bounce" aerodromes in the Arctic along the way.  Looking at the current state of these airfields, you can draw your own conclusions regarding if they are in use or have been abandoned.  They sure look well maintained, or even developed, to me.  Granted, some of the aviation is civil, but a "bounce" is really only meant to refuel for the 2nd leg of a journey across the pole.

Countering this threat of coming over the pole, NORAD set up 5 4 forward operating locations (FOLs) in Canada where NORAD interceptors could stage out of, and counter the Soviet threat.

Here are those "Bounce Aerodromes"

Sredniy Ostrov Aerodrome (Аэродром Средний Остров) (UODS)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sredny_Ostrov

[No imagery available]

Olenya Aerodrome (Аэродром Оленья)  (XLMO)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olenya_(air_base)

Vorkuta Airport  (Аэропорт Воркута) (UUYW)

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorkuta_Airport

Tiksi Airport (Аэропорт Тикси) (UEST) 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiksi_Airport

Ugolny Airport / Anadyr (Аэропорт Угольный) (UHMA)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugolny_Airport

Mys Shmidta Airport (Аэропорт Мыс Шмидта) (UHMI)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mys_Shmidta_Airport

Rogachevo Aerodrome (Аэродром Рогачёво) (ULDR)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogachevo_%28air_base%29

Other air bases of note which were not releated specifically to heavy bombers:

Lakhta air base
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakhta_air_base


Kamenny Ruchey (Mongokhto, Alekseyevka, Mongohto) (Монгохто, Каменный Ручей) (UHKG)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamenny_Ruchey

Bolshoye Savino / Perm International Airport (USPP)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perm_International_Airport

Ivanovo Severny (Ivanovo North / Zhukovka)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivanovo_Severny


Kansk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansk_%28air_base%29

Borisovsky Khotilovo (Borisovskiy / Borisovsky / Khatilovo)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borisovsky_Khotilovo

Savatiya (Kotlas South, Savati, Savvatiya) (ULKS)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savatiya

Morshansk (Tambovo)
N/A

Omsk-Severnyj Air Base (Omsk)
54°58'25"N   73°33'16"E
N/A

Ostrov (Gorokhovka)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrov_%28air_base%29

Petropavlovsk-Yelizovo (Yelizovo Airport / Аэропорт Елизово) (UHPP)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky_Airport

Chuguyevka (Chuguevka, Sandagou, Sikharovka, Sakharovka, Sokolovka, Bulyga-Fadeyevo)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuguyevka_%28air_base%29

Savasleyka (Саваслейка)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savasleyka_%28air_base%29

Shaykovka (Шайковка) (Kirov Shaykovka, Anisovo Gorod, Anisovo Gorodishche, Shaykovo, Shajkovka, Gorodische, Chaikovka)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaykovka

Soltsy-2 (Sol'tsy, Soltsy, Solcy, Solcy 2) (XLLL)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soltsy-2

Russian Aerial Observation Flights Over Canada (July 17-19 2013)

Russian Tupolev Tu-154M-ON at Ottawa International Airport
Original: http://www.flickr.com/photos/53158134@N02/9783788494

Scrounging through dusty Cold War stories, I'm used to tales of Soviet-American tension, the Cuban missile crisis, heightened states of alert, drill upon drill of American and Soviet bombers; each playing a dangerous game of chicken.  I thought most of those tensions disappeared with the end of the Cold War, with the end of the Soviet state, and with the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Maybe some of them, but world military superpowers still exist, there are still treaties on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, chemical weapons, and all sorts of other agreements.  Adherence needs to be verified, by all signatory parties.  

I guess somewhere in the back of my mind I knew there would need to be arms inspectors ensuring everyone was playing by the rules, but I certainly didn't think Russian planes would be flying in Canadian airspace, decked out with sensors; optical, IR, radar, etc. looking down on Canadian soil, ensuring we were playing by the rules.  I don't mean that Canada is above the law, I mean I thought that was all done by Satellite by now - after all, if I can tell the type and model of a car in a parking lot using Google Maps, or Bing Maps - surely the Russian military must have better imagery, no?  That was why I was surprised to see this press release, quite after the fact;

Russian observation aircraft takes to Canadian skies under international treaty
NR-13.229 - July 13, 2013

OTTAWA – A Russian Federation aircraft will conduct aerial observation flights over Canada under the Treaty on Open Skies during the period July 17 to 19, 2013.

The unarmed Tupolev TU-154M aircraft, which arrived at 8 Wing Trenton today, will be accorded Russia’s legal right of unimpeded observation overflight of Canadian territory, in fulfilment of Canada’s obligations as a State Party to the Treaty on Open Skies. Using an array of onboard sensors, the aircraft can observe and verify objects of interest or concern, such as military sites, industrial centres, communications facilities and transportation hubs... -Canada News Center

The Treaty on Open Skies?

"...a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its participants. The treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by giving all participants, regardless of size, a direct role in gathering information about military forces and activities of concern to them. Open Skies is one of the most wide-ranging international efforts to date promoting openness and transparency of military forces and activities. The concept of "mutual aerial observation" was initially proposed to Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin at the Geneva Conference of 1955 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower; however, the Soviets promptly rejected the concept and it lay dormant for several years. The treaty was eventually signed as an initiative of US president (and former Director of Central Intelligence) George H. W. Bush in 1989. Negotiated by the then-members of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the agreement was signed in Helsinki, Finland, on March 24, 1992." -Wikipedia

Okay, now I know that Russians fly over Canadian airspace, spying on us, with our consent - and conversely, all of the other signatory parties do the same; Canadians over Russia, Russians over the United States, etc.. Here is a list of all the flights conducted in 2012 published May 21st 2013 (link).  

After such overflights, the imagery is then shared with all the participants in the treaty, including the host state who's land was photographed.  From another fantastic open source document I learned the imagery is supposed to be up to 0.3M in resolution, better than Google Satellite imagery (link).

So how does this interest me?  Well, the Russians are overflying and photographing "military sites, industrial centres, communications facilities and transportation hubs" many of which line up with my Cold War interests, since many bases or stations which have not been abandoned or sold off have a Cold War connection; CFB Borden, CFB Goose Bay, CFB Comox, CFB North Bay, etc... I make an effort to NOT show up at active Canadian Forces bases or stations with a camera in hand, not because I'm not interested, but because I don’t want to be accused of espionage for the Russians.  However, if the Russians are giving the Canadian Government pictures of Canadian bases - why wouldn’t that imagery be public?  I also don't know the flight paths of the Russian planes, so I don’t know if they're overflying anywhere else of interest (like Ramore, Chibougamau, old GATR sites, etc..)  Are those flight paths classified?  Again, I wonder why - as the Russians are filing their flight plan more than 72hrs in advance of their flight to ensure Canadian Forces agreement and proper notification.  If they know, and we know; what's the big secret?

I'm going to make some inquiries about the imagery, it would be very interesting to review these recent and high resolution air photos for locations which are along the lines of my interests, especially if they're already georeferenced and importable into Google Earth.