| Akhtubinsk Akhtybinsk  | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akhtubinsk, Astrakhan Oblast in Russia | |||||||||
  Akhtubinsk Shown within Astrakhan Oblast  Akhtubinsk Akhtubinsk (Russia) | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 48°18′31″N 46°12′15″E / 48.30861°N 46.20417°E | ||||||||
| Type | Air Base | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||
| Operator | Russian Aerospace Forces | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1948 | ||||||||
| In use | 1948 - present | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO: URWH | ||||||||
| Elevation | 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Akhtubinsk is a Russian Aerospace Forces base located near Akhtubinsk, Astrakhan Oblast, Russia.
The base is home to the 929th State Flight Test Centre named for V. P. Chkalov.[1][2]
The then-State Red Banner GK Scientific Research Institute VVS was moved to the base from Chkalov in Moscow Oblast in 1960, and the 1st (fighters and fighter-bombers), 2nd (bombers), 5th (radio range), 9th (route measuring complex), and 10th (nuclear test) Scientific-Experimental Departments of the Institute were set up at Akhtubinsk that year.[2]
In 1990 the institute received its current name.
The aerodrome was in use for testing as early as 1948; in June 1948, V. D. Lutsenko, a test pilot and Hero of the Soviet Union crashed in an aircraft of unknown type. On October 27, 1949, test pilot E.S. Greenfield died in a crash of a La-15 aircraft at Akhtubinsk during the first show of aviation equipment. On April 9, 1963 test pilot V. I. Grotsky died during a test flight of a Sukhoi Su-7B fighter-bomber aircraft near Akhtubinsk airfield.