Bechyně Air Base

Military conversion and strategic downsizing. Following the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the newly formed Czech Air Force underwent significant restructuring. The military command decided to consolidate its air assets at a smaller number of key air bases (like Čáslav and Náměšť nad Oslavou). Bechyně was deemed redundant as a primary fighter base and was selected for conversion into a base for ground forces, specifically the newly established 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade.

The site is an active military installation, but not primarily an air base. It serves as the garrison for the Czech Army's 15th Engineer Regiment (15. ženijní pluk). The runway and basic airfield infrastructure are maintained and the site is designated as a reserve/backup airfield for the Czech Air Force, which occasionally uses it for exercises and training. Concurrently, a portion of the airfield is used by civilians. It is registered as an ultralight airfield (Plocha pro sportovní létající zařízení - SLZ) under the ICAO designator CZ-0270, operated by the local Aeroklub Bechyně. This allows for limited, light civil aviation activity with the permission of the military.

Bechyně Air Base was a crucial frontline air base for the Czechoslovak Air Force throughout the Cold War. Constructed between 1953 and 1957, it was strategically positioned to defend the western border against NATO forces. It was home to several elite fighter aviation regiments, most notably the 1st and later the 4th Fighter Aviation Regiment. The base operated a succession of iconic Soviet-era fighter jets, including the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, MiG-19, MiG-21, and was one of the primary bases for the advanced variable-sweep wing MiG-23. The base was maintained at a high state of readiness, with pilots and aircraft prepared for immediate combat missions. Its infrastructure, including a 2,400-meter concrete runway and numerous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS), was a testament to its importance within the Warsaw Pact's air defense network. The ICAO code CZ-0270 does not refer to the historical military base but to the small, registered ultralight airfield that operates on the site today.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Bechyně as a full-time, primary military air base or for converting it into a public civilian airport. The Czech Air Force's current structure is stable and consolidated at other locations. The site's primary role as a garrison for the Army's 15th Engineer Regiment is well-established. Its future is expected to continue in its current dual-use capacity: an active army base with a runway maintained for reserve military purposes and limited light civil aviation.