Krzywa Air Base

The air base was closed as a direct result of the end of the Cold War and the subsequent withdrawal of the Soviet Union's Northern Group of Forces from Poland. Following the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, an agreement was signed for the removal of all Soviet troops. The last combat aircraft departed in 1992, and the base was officially handed over to Polish authorities. The Polish Air Force had no strategic need for such a large, additional facility, leading to its demilitarization and eventual conversion for civilian use.

The site is no longer an airport and has been extensively redeveloped for civilian purposes. A large portion of the former air base is now the 'Krzywa Subzone' of the Legnica Special Economic Zone (LSSE). It has been transformed into a major industrial and logistics park, attracting numerous domestic and international companies who have built factories and warehouses on the property. While the main runway and some taxiways are still physically intact and visible on satellite imagery, they are in a state of disrepair and are not maintained for aviation. The area is sometimes used for non-aviation activities such as automotive testing, driver training courses, and commercial events. Many of the distinctive hardened aircraft shelters still stand, with some being repurposed for storage by the new industrial tenants, while others are abandoned and decaying.

Krzywa Air Base has a rich and significant military history spanning three distinct periods:

1. **Nazi Germany (1936-1945):** Originally constructed by the Luftwaffe in 1936 and named 'Fliegerhorst Krummöls'. During World War II, it served as a training and operational base for various German air units. It was used for staging aircraft for the invasion of Poland and later operations on the Eastern Front.

2. **Soviet Union (1945-1992):** After WWII, the base was taken over by the Soviet Air Forces and became one of the most important and strategic Soviet airfields in the Eastern Bloc. As part of the 4th Air Army of the Northern Group of Forces, it was a key forward operating base. It hosted several elite units throughout the Cold War, most notably:
* **89th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (89 APIB):** This unit was equipped with nuclear-capable aircraft, initially the Sukhoi Su-7 and later the advanced Sukhoi Su-24 'Fencer' swing-wing strike aircraft.
* **164th Independent Guards Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (164 OGvRAP):** This was a high-value intelligence-gathering unit, famous for operating the Mach 3-capable Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25RB 'Foxbat-B' high-altitude reconnaissance-bombers, as well as Su-24MR 'Fencer-E' tactical reconnaissance aircraft. The presence of these assets made Krzywa a primary target for NATO during the Cold War.

The base featured a long, 2,500-meter concrete runway, extensive taxiways, and dozens of hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) designed to protect aircraft from attack.

3. **Post-Soviet Handover (1992):** The departure of the Soviet forces and the handover of the base to Poland symbolized the end of an era of foreign military presence in the country.

There are no known or credible plans to reopen Krzywa Air Base as a functional military or civilian airport. The extensive industrial development on the site, including the construction of large factories directly on former aprons and support areas, makes a return to aviation operations logistically and financially unfeasible. The existing aviation infrastructure is significantly degraded, and the region is adequately served by other airports, such as Wrocław–Copernicus Airport (WRO). The future of the site is firmly rooted in its current role as an industrial and economic zone.