Kremovo-1 Air Base

The closure was a direct result of the large-scale military reorganization and severe budget cuts that occurred in the Russian Armed Forces following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The resident aviation unit, the 47th Fighter Aviation Regiment, was disbanded in 1998, making the base redundant. This was part of a broader trend of consolidating forces and closing numerous military installations across Russia.

The air base is currently non-operational and largely abandoned for aviation purposes. Satellite imagery shows the runway, taxiways, and hardened aircraft shelters remain intact but are in a state of significant disrepair and overgrown with vegetation. The site is not maintained for flight operations. There is evidence and reporting that the territory is now used by the Russian Army as a storage depot, particularly for ground vehicles and other military equipment. The associated military town (garnizon) is partially inhabited, but many of its buildings are derelict. The ICAO code RU-0739 is an unofficial country-specific designator likely assigned to the location as an inactive or reserve airfield, or possibly for a small, non-aviation military unit on site.

Kremovo-1 was a strategically important air base for the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) and later the Russian Air Force, located in the Far East Military District. Its primary mission was the air defense of the Primorsky Krai region against potential threats from the Pacific. The base was home to the 47th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (47 GvIAP). Throughout its operational history, the regiment based at Kremovo flew several types of aircraft, most notably the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 'Fresco' in its earlier years, followed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23ML/MLD 'Flogger-G/K' from the late 1970s until its disbandment. The base featured a robust infrastructure, including a main runway, extensive taxiways, and numerous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) designed to protect aircraft from attack.

There are no known official plans or credible public reports regarding the reopening or reactivation of Kremovo-1 as a fully operational air base. While Russia has been modernizing its military and reactivating some Soviet-era facilities in the Arctic and Far East, Kremovo-1 does not appear to be a priority. Its former air defense role is now covered by other modernized air bases in the region, such as Tsentralnaya Uglovaya Air Base, which operates advanced fighters like the Su-35S. It is highly likely to remain in its current state as a reserve airfield and military storage depot for the foreseeable future.