Temp (Темп; Russian for "pace") is a Russian

Military air base An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...

established in 2013 at the western end of

Kotelny Island Kotelny Island ( rus, Остров Котельный, r=Ostrov Kotelny; sah, Олгуйдаах Aрыы, translit=Olguydaax Arııta) is part of the Anzhu Islands subgroup of the New Siberian Islands located between the Laptev Sea and the East ...

, serving the station Severny Klever ("Northern Clover" or "Northern Shamrock"). It was established as part of a national initiative to secure Russia's arctic regions. The base is home to the Aviation Command, 182nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 326th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division.

History

Temp was originally developed in 1949 was a minor polar airfield during the

Soviet era The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world. Though the terms "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Union" often are synonymous in everyday speech (either acknowledging the dominance ...

. Communication with the mainland at

Tiksi Airport Tiksi Aerodrome is located 1 km (0.6 mi) northeast of Tiksi, Russia, and was built in the 1950s as a staging base for Soviet Long Range Aviation bombers to reach the United States (as a so-called 'bounce' aerodrome). It is used regula ...

was supported by

Lisunov Li-2 The Lisunov Li-2 (NATO reporting name: Cab), originally designated PS-84, was a license-built Soviet-version of the Douglas DC-3. It was produced by Factory #84 in Moscow-Khimki and, after evacuation in 1941, at TAPO in Tashkent. The pro ...

aircraft. The station consisted of two log barracks, a garage and tents. The Kieng-Uras fishing and hunting station was located nearby, which included 5 buildings. To the north of Temp station, at the northern tip of Temp Bay, there was a fishing and hunting station Bysakh-Karga. In the 1960s, a radar surveillance site was installed, along with a company of soldiers. In the 1970s, some seismology research was done. In 1993, the station was mothballed. Around 2010, in the face of increasing international competition for Arctic resources, the Russian government decided to restore the station. This work began October 29, 2013. The runway of the airfield is located on a pebble spit separating the Gulf of Stakhanovtsev Arctic from the

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') ...

, and is capable of servicing

Antonov An-72 The Antonov An-72 (NATO reporting name: Coaler) is a Soviet/Ukrainian transport aircraft, developed by Antonov. It was designed as an STOL transport and intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-26, but variants have found success as comme ...

aircraft. The base serves about 50 military personnel. On the night of March 13–14, 2014, an airborne paratroop battalion of the Ivanovo 98th Airborne Division with 350 soldiers landed on an island near the airfield as part of a readiness exercise. The personnel landed with the use of controlled parachute systems. After the landing, the soldiers “captured” the airfield for 40 minutes. This marked the first time such exercises were held in the Russian Arctic. In September 2014, the 99th Tactic Arctic Group permanently established the base by beginning construction of a runway, pier and accommodation for troops and their families. The airfield is now able to receive Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft all year long which significantly improves the bases ability to re-supply. The base is known in Russian as the .

References

Airports in the Sakha Republic Airports in the Arctic Russian Air Force bases Populated places of Arctic Russia {{russia-airport-stub

History

See also

References