Rogachevo (air base)
Rogachevo (recorded in various sources as Belushya, Rogachvo, or Rogatschovo) is a military air base on Novaya Zemlya, Russia located near the settlement of Rogachevo, 9 km northeast of Belushya Guba. It was originally used as a staging base for intercontinental Long Range Aviation bomber flights (as a so-called 'bounce' airdrome). The base developed an interceptor role during the 1960s, partly to deter Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird operations in the Arctic region. Rogachevo's primary operating unit is the 641 Gv IAP (641st Guards Interceptor Aviation Regiment). It used Yakovlev Yak-28P (NATO: Firebar) aircraft, then received the Sukhoi Su-27 (NATO: Flanker) in 1985. It is possible that in 1993 the unit may have dispersed to Afrikanda. During the 1970s Tupolev Tu-28 (NATO: Fiddler) aircraft deployed frequently to Rogachevo from southern locales. Around 1990 Mikoyan MiG-31 (NATO: Foxhound) aircraft were deployed on occasion. Rogachevo was largely tied to its rear air station, Naryan-Mar Airport. In 2017, Russia finished new construction on the air base focused on updating technology and adding more social infrastructure. History The name “Amderma-2” was assigned to the aerodrome during the Soviet period in order to observe the secrecy regime (in fact, the distance between Rogachevo and the village of