Ravnets Air Base ( bg, Авиобаза Равнец) , also known as 5th Fighter Air Base, is a former
Bulgarian Air Force
The Bulgarian Air Force ( bg, Военновъздушни сили, Voennovazdushni sili) is one of the three branches of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and p ...
base near
Ravnets,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, located on the Black Sea coast, 20 km west of
Bourgas
Burgas ( bg, Бургас, ), sometimes transliterated as ''Bourgas'', is List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the fourth-largest in Bulgaria after So ...
. Built in 1950, the base was home to the HQ and 1st Squadron of the 15th Fighter Air Regiment, 2nd Air Defence Division, flying the
MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickna ...
initially (but in 1989, the
MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
). Starting in 1994, the base was called the 6th Fighter Air Base of the Tactical Air Corps. In 2000, Ravnets Air Base was closed and demolished.
Short history
![Bulgarian mig-29 (altered)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Bulgarian_mig-29_%28altered%29.jpg)
Ravnets Air Base housed a squadron (flying
MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickna ...
s, later
MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
s) of the 17th Fighter Air Regiment - an integral part of the 2nd Air Defence Division. Later, as 5th Fighter Air Base it was put under the newly established Air Defence Corps and its squadron was named "Sharks" (unofficially, because of its patch and its location close to the sea). The base was considered elite because of its proximity to the Turkish border and its task to protect the oil refinery near
Burgas
Burgas ( bg, Бургас, ), sometimes transliterated as ''Bourgas'', is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the fourth-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna, with a popu ...
, which was deemed of strategic importance to the country. This importance is the reason why the squadron was the first (and only) to transition to the
MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
. As the base was deactivated, the air unit was moved to Graf Ignatievo, where it is currently residing as the 2nd Squadron of the 3rd Fighter Air Base.
History
On August 14, 1950, the 26th Flying Airpolk (successor to the US Army 2/6 Hogwarts Army Bombing Defense Force) was renamed to the 15th Colonel Aviation Regiment. At the time, the division was based on Bozhurishte Airport; a few months previously (in March), at Karlovo airport. 15th Avirpolk is the first step in the recovery of the reactive technology in Bulgaria in May 1950, namely, the
Yak-23
The Yakovlev Yak-23 (russian: Яковлев Як-23; USAF/DoD reporting name Type 28, NATO reporting name Flora) was an early Soviet jet fighter with a straight wing. It was developed from the Yak-17 in the late 1940s and used a reverse-engine ...
. In the second half of 1951 the regiment was rearmed with
MiG-15
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (russian: Микоя́н и Гуре́вич МиГ-15; USAF/DoD designation: Type 14; NATO reporting name: Fagot) is a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of ...
. On April 14, 1952, the unit was transported to Bezmer Airport and four months later to the newly built Ravnets Airport. A little later, the regiment was provided with the
MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 w ...
F.
From May 1963 (after the disembarkation of the 27th Navy in Balchik), the 15th Yap became a double base - two squadrons at Ravnets Airport (one with MiG-17 and one with MiG-17PF from the disbanded 27th Japanese). one squadron (third) at Balchik Airport, MiG-17F.
In 1967, the first 15th squadron was rearmed with 12
MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickna ...
FPM fighters. In 1970 the regiment again entered the two-tiered structure: the first squadron in Ravnets (MiG-21PFM) and the second in Balchik (MiG-17PF and MiG-17F). In 1978, a second squadron was rearmed with the MiG-21FMM (second hand donated by the USSR).
For a year (from autumn 1983 to September 1984), the regiment was again in a three-layer structure: the third squadron was again set up with the idea of being disarmed with MiG-25PD interceptors, but soon this idea was abandoned, in the interest of Gabrovnitsa's rearmament with the
MiG-23
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-23; NATO reporting name: Flogger) is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is a third-generatio ...
MDD.
In 1988, a first part of the ITS departments and departments undergo training in the USSR, and from summer of the following year, it became equipped with the
Mikoyan MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG- ...
fighter which ended in 1990.
In 1990, the 2nd Squadron was rearmed with the MiG-21bis (secondhand gifts from the USSR again).
Since September 1, 1994, the 15th has been disbanded, and two air bases have been created at its base: 5 in Ravnets and 6 in Balchik.
In 2000, the fifth aaab was converted to the 5th Air Base, which virtually ceased to exist. In 2001, flights were carried out - the transfer of several aircraft to Graf Ignatievo, although most of them were onshore.
See also
*
List of airports in Bulgaria
This is a list of airports in Bulgaria. It is a partial list of public active aerodromes (airports and airfields), grouped by type and sorted by location.
The Republic of Bulgaria is a country in the Balkans in southeastern Europe. It borders ...
*
List of Bulgarian Air Force bases
*
Graf Ignatievo Air Base
Graf Ignatievo Air Base is located in the village of Graf Ignatievo, about north of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city. It is the sole remaining fighter base of that state and houses two squadrons of jet aircraft.
Early years
Graf Igna ...
*
Cheshnegirovo Air Base
Cheshnegirovo Air Base/Sadovo (ICAO code: LBPS) used to house the 25th Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment (flying MiG-23BN/UBs) of the 10th Composite Aviation Corps. Located in central Bulgaria, north east of Plovdiv. According to the major restructuring ...
*
Dobroslavtsi Air Base
Dobroslavtsi Air Base or 1st Fighter Air Base Dobroslavtsi ( bg, 1ва Изтребителна авиобаза Доброславци) is an air force facility near Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is located to the west of the city and has for ...
*
Bezmer Air Base
Bezmer Air Base is an air base for the Bulgarian Air Force. The base is situated in the eastern part of the Upper Thracian Lowland, in Yambol Oblast (Region), 10 km west of the city of Yambol and 30 km southeast of the city of Sliven, ...
*
Dobrich Air Base
26th Reconnaissance Air Base Dobrich ( bg, 26та Разузнавателна авиобаза Добрич) is a former Bulgarian military installation near the City of Dobrich in the northeastern part of the country. It was of significant import ...
*
Gabrovnitsa Air Base
Gabrovnitsa Air Base ( bg, авиобаза Габровница) or 2nd Fighter Air Base is a former Bulgarian Air Force air base. It was built outside Gabrovnitsa near Montana in north western Bulgaria. The base was home to the 11th FAR, then t ...
*
List of joint US-Bulgarian military bases
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
References
External links
Авиобаза Равнец- airport info and photos (Bulgarian language website)
{{authority control
Airports in Bulgaria
Air force installations of Bulgaria
Military installations closed in the 2000s