Engels-2
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Engels-2 | |||
---|---|---|---|
IATA: - ICAO: | |||
Summary | |||
Airport type | military | ||
Operator | Russian Air Force | ||
Serves | Saratov | ||
Elevation AMSL | 121 ft (37 m) | ||
Coordinates | |||
Runways | |||
Direction | Length | Surface | |
ft | m | ||
11483 | 3500 | Concrete |
Engels-2 (also given as Engel's, Engels', or Zngyelse) is a strategic air base in Russia located 14 km east of Saratov. Engels is a major bomber operations base, and is Russia's sole operating location for the Tu-160 Blackjack. The base contains a 3500 m runway and about 10 large revetments.
In 1955, Engels-2 was only one of six Soviet bases capable of handling the oversized Myasishchev M-4 bomber. The base was to have received the first production Tu-160 in 1987 but it went to Priluki, whose units had Tupolev Tu-22M experience. By 1994 Engels-2 had five Tu-160 bombers in operation. In 1998 the START-1 treaty had shown it had 20 operational Tupolev Tu-95 (Bear) bombers and six Tu-160 bombers, all with cruise missile capability.
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