Khmeimim (air base)

Khmeimim Air Base (Latakia Air Base)
Авиабаза «Хмеймим»
Bassel Al-Assad International Airport Near Latakia in Syria
A Russian Su-24 bomber at Khmeimim airbase, Syria
Khmeimim Air Base Position in Syria
Coordinates	35°24′42″N 35°56′42″E / 35.41167°N 35.94500°E / 35.41167; 35.94500
Site information
Owner	Syria
Operator	Russian Air Force
Site history
Built	2015 (2015)
In use	2015-present
Airfield information
Elevation	48 metres (157 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 17/35 2,797 metres (9,177 ft) Asphalt

Khmeimim Air Base, also Hmeimim Air Base is a Syrian airbase currently operated by Russia, located south-east of the city of Latakia in Latakia Governorate, Syria. While the airbase shares some airfield facilities with Bassel Al-Assad International Airport, it is only accessible to Russian personnel. In January 2017, Russia and Syria signed a treaty to lease it to Russia for 49 years, extendable for an additional 25.

The name of the air base Хмеймим has been transliterated also in other ways, namely Hemeimeem, Hmeymin, all based on the local Arabic name.

Khmeimim air base was built in mid-2015 adjacent to the Bassel Al-Assad International Airport to serve as "the strategic center of Russia's military operation against Islamic State". The existence of the Russian strategic base was revealed by the United States in early September and American officials expressed concern over the possibility of escalation of the conflict in Syria. The airbase became operational on 30 September 2015.

During September 2015 the air base came under rocket attack by local Syrian rebels apparently using Grad missiles.

At the end of September 2015, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe, General Philip Breedlove, said that the kind of military infrastructure that Russia had installed in Syria, which included anti-aircraft defence systems, was a de facto no-fly zone: “As we see the very capable air defense [systems] beginning to show up in Syria, we’re a little worried about another A2/AD [anti-access/area denial] bubble being created in the eastern Mediterranean.” (Russia’s third denial zone around Europe)