Expand to Czechoslovakia

[FCB]

As I can see various parties are lobbying to expand the map to their favorite piece of land (essentially in all possible directions), we are still missing one obvious piece: Czechoslovakia

Unlike some theoretical what-if scenarios the stuff really happened there:

- Air battle over Merklín

- Numerous intercepts along the border

- Small planes trying to flee to the West Germany

- Home of our beloved L-39

- There are at least some mountains unlike the boring flat terrain to the North

[Gnat11]

Abolutely agree!

There is part of Czechoslovakia in PHASE 3, so there is hope. In that part there are a few airfields with grass runways (some was used by Luftwaffe in WW2, some later as back-up/emergency/diversion fields), but most importantly there are:

- Karlovy Vary airport (LKKV): civilian airport near Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) spa city

- Hradčany air base (LKHR, call sign NÁPAD): Used by Czechoslovak Air Force squadrons with MiG-15s, after 1968 occupied by Soviet forces with MiG-21, later MiG-27 and Mi-24s squadrons. Air base is now abandoned, but layout is still clearly visible on ortho photos (change view from most recent to years 2001-2003):
https://mapy.com/en/letecka?l=0&x=14.7334724&y=50.6191387&z=15

- Žatec air base (LKZC, call sign MERKUR): Home base of 11th Fighter Air Regiment, which used MiG-15s, MiG-17s, MiG-19s, MiG-21s, MiG-23s and MiG-29s. During Štít 84 (Shiled 84 exercise), take-off of 72 aircraft in 5 minutes was conducted. They used runway (taking off from both directions), taxiways and emergency grass strip to do this, see video (time 01:46:05): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrBiNjDFX0k&t=6380s
Air base do not exist anymore, but layout is still clearly visible on ortho photos (change view from most recent to years 2001-2003):
https://mapy.com/en/letecka?l=0&x=13.5783392&y=50.3691727&z=15

Sources:
https://mil-airfields.de/cz-czech-republic/air-bases.html
https://www.armedconflicts.com/Military-Objects-c504758
https://www.forgottenairfields.com/country-czech-republic-146.html

[unmar]

@MAESTR0 Hi, I would like to ask for your consideration of adding the Žatec air base in Czechoslovakia. The expansion of phase 3 would be minimal. 

 

serving aircraft: Mig-15, Mig-17, Mig-19, Mig-21, Mig-23, Mig-29 and L-39

 

Žatec
Žatec has been home to the first military garrison since 1935. An airport allowing the operation of jet aircraft was built near Žatec in 1951. The following year, the 5th Fighter Aviation Division was formed. In 1958, only the 1st Fighter Aviation Regiment remained with MiG-15 aircraft, which were gradually supplemented by MiG-17 and MiG-19 aircraft. In 1963-1965, the regiment was re-equipped with MiG-21 aircraft. In 1983, its armament was supplemented by MiG-23 aircraft, and in 1989, by MiG-29 aircraft.

In 1960, the 5th Anti-Aircraft Regiment arrived in Žatec, which was re-equipped with OSA-AKM missiles in 1983. In 1985, the 21st Tank Regiment from Žatec was the first to be equipped with T-72 tanks. The units of the Žatec airport merged in May 1991 into the 11th Air Base, which ceased to exist in 1993. In the summer of 1997, the anti-aircraft regiment also ceased to exist, and was reorganized into a training and mobilization base for the anti-aircraft troops.

null

Thank you

 

M.Vyhnak

Edited April 16 by unmar

[unmar]

Karlovy Vary airport and Hradčany air base was confirmed.

They will probably add Žatec, there should be no need to interfere with the map's size.

 

[FCB]

Žatec Air Base has to be included, it was such an important base.

Líně Air Base would be nice to have, but then we would need to have Plzeň city as well (beer anyone?), which would stretch the map too far.