Pryluky (air base)
| Pryluky | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Ukrainian Air Force | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Pryluky | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 449 ft / 137 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 50°34′0″N 032°19′0″E / 50.56667°N 32.31667°ECoordinates: 50°34′0″N 032°19′0″E / 50.56667°N 32.31667°E | ||||||||||||||
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Pryluky (also given as Priluki) is an air base in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine located 6 km west of Pryluky. This airfield was Ukraine's primary Tupolev Tu-160 bomber base (with Uzyn having the nation's Tupolev Tu-95 fleet). There are revetments for 20 large aircraft.
Pryluky accepted the USSR's first Tu-160 (Blackjack) in April 1987, building its fleet up to 19 by 1994. By the mid 1990s, the Pryluky Regiment had lost its value as a combat unit. The 184th GvTBAP's 19 "Blackjacks" were effectively grounded because of a lack of technical support, spare parts and fuel. At this point in time, Ukraine considered the Tu-160s more of a bargaining chip in their economic negotiations with Russia. Certainly, they were of very limited value to Ukraine from a military standpoint, but discussions with Russia concerning their return bogged down. Between October 1999 and February 2000 Ukraine turned over 8 Tu-160 bombers to Russia to pay off energy debts; these are now at Russia's Engels-2 air base.
Units stationed at Pryluky included:
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Wikipedia