Missing USSR airbases in the upcoming Afghanistan map

[Ronin_Gaijin]

This post will focus on Khanabad-Karshi, Uzbekistan else known as Qarshi.

Khanabad-Karshi was the base of the Soviet 87th Reconnaissance Air Regiment, 49th Guard Bomber Air Regiment and 39th Reconnaissance Air Regiment in 1979.
87th Reconnaissance Air Regiment 
Aircraft type MiG-21R Fishbed-H and Yak-28R Brewer-D.

49th Guard Bomber Air Regiment
Aircraft type Yak-28I Brewer-C.

39th Reconnaissance Air Regiment 
Aircraft type MiG-25RB Foxbat.

Attached photos for reference. 
00. ED map
01-02. Actual location, current state
03-08. Late 70s photo of base, operations 

This airbase is missing from current plans and would be important to be included in order to re-create the conflict.

Edited April 8, 2024 by Ronin_Gaijin
More accurate thread title

[BIGNEWY]

@Ronin_Gaijin interesting stuff, I have moved this post to wish list as it will just get lost in the FAQ thread. 

thank you 

[Ronin_Gaijin]

1 minute ago, BIGNEWY said:

@Ronin_Gaijin interesting stuff, I have moved this post to wish list as it will just get lost in the FAQ thread. 

thank you 

Thank you.
I will also make another post sharing the same historical information about Mary, Turkmenistan and its unique significance, both as a base for the conflict and the as the home of Soviet Top Gun.

[BIGNEWY]

Just now, Ronin_Gaijin said:

Thank you.
I will also make another post sharing the same historical information about Mary, Turkmenistan and its unique significance, both as a base for the conflict and the as the home of Soviet Top Gun.

yes of course please do, the team can take a look. I can not promise anything however. 

thank you 

[Stratos]

1 hour ago, Ronin_Gaijin said:

Thank you.
I will also make another post sharing the same historical information about Mary, Turkmenistan and its unique significance, both as a base for the conflict and the as the home of Soviet Top Gun.

Hope you can do the same for Peshawar AB for Pakistan AF, during the Soviet invasion the F6 were based there. I think their F-16's that mixed with soviet birds were based more east but not sure. Anyway Peshawar would add a lot to the map.

Together with Mashhad air base for Iran to represent the war against drug smugglers. Together with Mary and Termez are "just" 4 air bases but that would bring a LOT of value to the map.

[Bremspropeller]

Gilgit in Baltistan (Kashmere) would also be in the Northern part of the map.

Spoiler

null

Chitral, Chilas and Saidu Sharif should also be on the North map.

A good deal more airfields should be on the East map:

Spoiler

 

 

Unfortunately it seems the the map ends just west of Srinagar and Jammu, which would be indian airports.

[Ronin_Gaijin]

On 4/2/2024 at 7:29 PM, Stratos said:

Hope you can do the same for Peshawar AB for Pakistan AF, during the Soviet invasion the F6 were based there. I think their F-16's that mixed with soviet birds were based more east but not sure. Anyway Peshawar would add a lot to the map.

Together with Mashhad air base for Iran to represent the war against drug smugglers. Together with Mary and Termez are "just" 4 air bases but that would bring a LOT of value to the map.

I would love to, but my historical references/sources revolve around Soviet Cold War aviation history and tactics.
You already know more about Peshawar than me! 

I just wanted to expand on the Soviet airbases that took part in the USSR-Afghanistan conflict.
Five Soviet air bases took part in the Afghanistan conflict.
Three of them are included in the general area of the map.
This post will focus on Kokaydi, Uzbekistan else known as Termez (40km NorthEast of it) 
Kokaydi was base of the Soviet 115th Guard Fighter Regiment's Airport in 1979.
Aircraft type MiG-21bis Fishbed-L.
Attached photos for reference. 
00. ED map
01-02. Actual location, current state
03. Late 70s photo of base
04. Operations
05. Special camouflage MiG-21Bis

This airbase is missing from current plans and would be important to be included in order to re-create the conflict.

Edited April 8, 2024 by Ronin_Gaijin

[Ronin_Gaijin]

On 4/2/2024 at 9:00 PM, Ronin_Gaijin said:

I would love to, but my historical references/sources revolve around Soviet Cold War aviation history and tactics.
You already know more about Peshawar than me! 

I just wanted to expand on the Soviet airbases that took part in the USSR-Afghanistan conflict.
Five Soviet air bases took part in the Afghanistan conflict.
Three of them are included in the general area of the map.
This post will focus on Kokaydi, Uzbekistan else known as Termez (40km NorthEast of it) 
Kokaydi was base of the Soviet 115th Guard Fighter Regiment's Airport in 1979.
Aircraft type MiG-21bis Fishbed-L.
Attached photos for reference. 
00. ED map
01-02. Actual location, current state
03. Late 70s photo of base
04. Operations
05. Special camouflage MiG-21Bis

This airbase is missing from current plans and would be important to be included in order to re-create the conflict.

MiG-21Bis in game from this specific unit in late 70s.
MiG-29 9.13 in game from this specific unit in late 80s.

Edited November 25, 2024 by Ronin_Gaijin

[johnysed]

I like this, but since the timeline for the map, K2 base makes more sense.

[Bremspropeller]

Spoiler

K2 base?

K2 base camp is east of the map boundary

Spoiler

Nanga Parbat should be inside the North map boundary, though. Hopefully it's Rupal face - Earth's tallest mountain face - is going to be modelled in some detail. Rupal face is on the backside of the ridge in this picture.

This Jeff is flying in front of the "Silberzacken" and "Silbersattel", which was the route used by the first ascendant, Hermann Buhl. It's just above and to the right of the tall trees in the photo above.

 

 

Edited April 9, 2024 by Bremspropeller

[Ronin_Gaijin]

There are 2 air bases in Mary, Turkmenistan.
This post will focus on Mary-2.
Mary-2 was the base of the Soviet 156th Fighter Aviation Regiment and 39th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment in 1981.

156th Fighter Aviation Regiment
Aircraft type Su-17M3 Fitter-H.

39th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
Aircraft type MiG-25RB Foxbat and Su-24MR Fencer

Attached photos for reference. 
00. ED map
01-02. Actual location, current state
03-06. Early 80s photo of base, operations

This airbase is missing from current plans and would be important to be included in order to re-create the conflict.
 

Edited April 8, 2024 by Ronin_Gaijin

[Ronin_Gaijin]

On 4/3/2024 at 11:09 PM, Ronin_Gaijin said:

There are 2 air bases in Mary, Turkmenistan.
This post will focus on Mary-2.
Mary-2 was the base of the Soviet 156th Fighter Aviation Regiment and 39th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment in 1981.

156th Fighter Aviation Regiment
Aircraft type Su-17M3 Fitter-H.

39th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
Aircraft type MiG-25RB Foxbat and Su-24MR Fencer

Attached photos for reference. 
00. ED map
01-02. Actual location, current state
03-06. Early 80s photo of base, operations

This airbase is missing from current plans and would be important to be included in order to re-create the conflict.
 

 

Two squadrons of Su-17M2 Fitter-D bombers were placed near the Iranian borders.
806th Fighter Bomber Air Regiment at Kzyl-Arvat airport from 14th Air Army and 168th Guard Fighter Bomber Air Regiment at Mary-2 airport from 34th Tactical Air Army.
Both squadrons had 1st Class pilots. These squadrons were suitable for nuclear offensive missions. These two squadrons were stationed there in order to keep the Iranian forces at bay.

The Mary-2 airfield played a significant role in supporting the Soviet troops in Afghanistan and the Afghan army. The main volume of military cargo went there through the Tashkent-Vostochny airport (Tuzel) to the airfields of Mary, Kokaity, Karshi and Ferghana.
When necessary, routine maintenance could also be carried out.
Mi-8, Mi-24 helicopters, UTI-MiG-15, and Il-28 bombers were mainly sent from factories or other bases.
 

[Ronin_Gaijin]

There are 2 air bases in Mary, Turkmenistan.
This post will focus on Mary-1.*
Mary-1 was the base of the Soviet 341st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, 979th Fighter Aviation Regiment, 402nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment and 168th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment.

* Mary-1 was also the base for the Soviet Top Gun equivalent. There will be a separate post for it.

341st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
Aircraft type Tu-22PD Blinder.
Tu-22PD were deployed to Mary, Mary Oblast for ECM operations over Afghanistan

979th Fighter Aviation Regiment
Aircraft type MiG-23ML Flogger-G and MiG-23UB Flogger-C

402nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
Aircraft type Tu-22M3 Backfire.

168th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment
Aircraft type Su-17M3 Fitter-H and Su-24M Fencer-D

Attached photos for reference. 
00. ED map
01-02. Actual location, current state
03-12. Early 80s photo of base, aircraft and operations

This airbase is missing from current plans and would be important to be included in order to re-create the conflict.

Edited April 14, 2024 by Ronin_Gaijin

[Ronin_Gaijin]

Some photos of the (upcoming to DCS World) MiG-23.
ML and MLD versions that took part in the conflict.

Edited April 22, 2024 by Ronin_Gaijin

[okopanja]

Clearly Mig-23 or bust!

[Triple-R]

Definitely would like to see Russian airbases for the 80's war.

[spacemishka]

I think other maps got more airbases overtime as well. Let them just give us a good starting point. There can't be everything right in the initial version.

[Ronin_Gaijin]

10 hours ago, spacemishka said:

I think other maps got more airbases overtime as well. Let them just give us a good starting point. There can't be everything right in the initial version.

I agree with you and this was my main incentive in making this thread and the research behind it.
I would have preferred in the product description to state that the map will be updated to accommodate and support the USSR conflict later in the future.

[Ronin_Gaijin]

As promised I am going to conclude this thread with my post about Авиабаза 1521, Мары - Центр боевого применения | Airbase 1521, Mary - Combat Operations Center which was based in Mary-1.
This airbase is included in the general Afghanistan map area and would be a huge asset and incentive for the map's additional support by the community if it would be modelled.

1521st unit based at the Mary-1 was the Soviet analogue of the U.S.A. Top Gun/ Aggressors! It was a special base for training front line fighters in various ways on top of the training they were getting in their own airbases. (Training program code name "Operation Kavkaz" or "Exercise 500")
This training program for dogfighting and other combat flying, was not done in one day.
It lasted several weeks or even a month. This program would have been impossible without rivals that were the visiting units.
Thus, the majority of units of the USSR fighters visited the Mary-1 for training.
 

Mary-1 “aggressors” were flying the following aircraft:
In the early 70s MiG-21PFM, SM, UM and in 1974 - MiG21Bis.
Since the fall of 1975, the 2nd squadron on the MiG23M/UB (non-woven blue with white edging, camouflage since 1979)
MiG-23MLD was flown since 1984,
The MiG-29 9.12 was adopted from 1989 for the 1st squadron and from 1991 for the 2nd squadron.
To make the resident instructor squadrons stand out during the exercises, some quick identification elements - “cognac stripes, shark mouths, Vikings and Hornet logos” were adopted since 1987. After 1992 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union the airbase was disbanded, some of the jets were returned to Russia and some stayed as part of the Turkmenistan Air Force.

Attached photos for reference. 
00. ED map
01-02. Actual location, current state
03-06. Aircraft and operations photos

Paper Skies video about Airbase 1521

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2024 by Ronin_Gaijin

[Northstar98]

Absolutely agreed.

As it stands, this is one of the 3 missing items that are deal-breakers for me. If ED were to implement Mary-1 and -2 and Kokaydi, that would satisfy one of these (the others aren't strictly map related).

[Ronin_Gaijin]

14 hours ago, Northstar98 said:

Absolutely agreed.

As it stands, this is one of the 3 missing items that are deal-breakers for me. If ED were to implement Mary-1 and -2 and Kokaydi, that would satisfy one of these (the others aren't strictly map related).

It is a deal breaker for me as well, but hopefully the information shown here will influence ED in reconsidering the addition of these very important air bases.
Then the community or even ED can work on creating the necessary assets for realistic Soviet conflict in Afghanistan scenarios.

Kokaydi 115th IAP pilots in the photo.

Edited June 28, 2024 by Ronin_Gaijin

[Volator]

At this point I really hope that ED will go down the path of their Marianas map and release a second 1980s version of the Afghanistan map. Having the fully-built 2000s US and coalition airbases in the current Afghanistan map is not a good basis for authentic 1980s era Soviet scenarios (which I personally currently find more interesting than the WOGT scenario).

[Ronin_Gaijin]

On 7/20/2024 at 3:40 PM, Volator said:

At this point I really hope that ED will go down the path of their Marianas map and release a second 1980s version of the Afghanistan map. Having the fully-built 2000s US and coalition airbases in the current Afghanistan map is not a good basis for authentic 1980s era Soviet scenarios (which I personally currently find more interesting than the WOGT scenario).

I could not agree with you more.
If we are aiming for a proper simulation, we need to be able use the 80s Afghan infrastructure and NOT the late 2000s NATO made one.

P.S. This is how Bagram looked like in the Soviet conflict.

Edited August 8, 2024 by Ronin_Gaijin

[Ronin_Gaijin]

Mark Thompson's map that shows the importance of Mary airbase (as well as others) in the Soviet war in Afghanistan.

Edited September 1, 2024 by Ronin_Gaijin

[Ronin_Gaijin]

Tu-16s and Tu-22M3s were based in Mary (Turkmenistan) and they were being escorted because of the Pakistani F-16s, by MiG-21Bis from Kokaydi (Uzbekistan).





 

Edited October 10, 2024 by Ronin_Gaijin