Brochocin Air Base

The air base was closed following the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. The primary reason was the withdrawal of the Soviet Union's Northern Group of Forces from Polish territory, which was completed in 1993. The base, previously operated by the Soviet Air Force, was handed over to Polish authorities. With no strategic need for such a large military airfield, and given the downsizing of the Polish military, the facility was decommissioned and abandoned.

The site is no longer recognizable as an active airport. After years of abandonment and decay, the vast area of the former runways and taxiways has been completely repurposed. It is now the location of one of Poland's largest photovoltaic power plants, the 'PV Farm Złotoryja' (or Farma Fotowoltaiczna Brochocin-Złotoryja). Thousands of solar panels now cover the main operational surfaces of the former air base. Many of the original military structures, such as the distinctive 'Granit' type hardened aircraft shelters, administrative buildings, and barracks, remain on the periphery of the site in various states of dereliction, with some being used for minor industrial or storage purposes. The site is a popular destination for urban explorers and military history enthusiasts.

Brochocin Air Base, also known as Legnica-Brochocin, has significant Cold War history. Originally built as a Luftwaffe airfield ('Fliegerhorst Liegnitz') by Germany during World War II, it was seized by the Soviet Union after the war. It became a major forward operating base for the Soviet Air Force's 4th Air Army, part of the powerful Northern Group of Forces stationed in Poland. Its strategic location made it a key asset for the Warsaw Pact, posing a direct threat to NATO forces in Western Europe. For most of its operational life, it housed fighter and fighter-bomber regiments. In its final years, it was home to the elite 159th Guards 'Novorossiysk' Fighter Aviation Regiment, which was one of the first units outside the USSR to be equipped with the advanced Mikoyan MiG-29 'Fulcrum' fighter jets. The base was a heavily fortified, self-contained military city with hardened aircraft shelters (HAS), extensive taxiways, a long concrete runway, and support facilities.

Effectively zero. The core aviation infrastructure, including the main runway, has been permanently and extensively redeveloped into a large-scale industrial solar farm. This multi-million dollar energy project represents a long-term commitment to the site's new function. Reverting the land to aviation use would require the complete removal of the solar plant and a total reconstruction of the airfield infrastructure, making it economically and logistically unfeasible. There are no known plans or discussions regarding the reopening of Brochocin as an airport.