Sukhaya Rechka Naval Air Base

The closure was a direct result of the massive military downsizing and severe economic constraints that followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In the 1990s, the Russian Armed Forces underwent a major restructuring to reduce costs, which involved consolidating forces onto fewer, more modern bases. Sukhaya Rechka was deemed redundant, and its units were disbanded or relocated.

The site is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. Satellite imagery and ground reports confirm that the runway, taxiways, and aircraft hardstands are severely cracked, overgrown with vegetation, and unusable for any aviation purposes. Most of the support buildings, barracks, and hangars are derelict, have been stripped of valuable materials, or have collapsed. The former air base is a military ghost town with no active presence or official use.

Sukhaya Rechka was a strategically important naval air base for the Soviet Pacific Fleet during the Cold War. Its primary mission was anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and maritime patrol in the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean, directly countering the naval forces of the United States and Japan. The base hosted several key units, most notably:
- The 289th Independent Anti-Submarine Aviation Regiment, which operated Beriev Be-12 'Chaika' amphibious aircraft for coastal and medium-range ASW patrols.
- The 77th Independent Anti-Submarine Aviation Regiment (Long-Range), which was equipped with the Ilyushin Il-38 'May' and later the formidable Tupolev Tu-142M/MZ 'Bear-F' long-range maritime reconnaissance and ASW aircraft.
The base played a critical role in protecting the vital naval port of Vladivostok and the Pacific Fleet's submarine bastions.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening the Sukhaya Rechka air base. The cost to repair and modernize the heavily degraded infrastructure would be prohibitive. The Russian Pacific Fleet's long-range naval aviation assets have been consolidated at other major airfields, such as Kamenny Ruchey. Given the extensive decay and the strategic consolidation of forces, reopening the base is considered highly unlikely.