Tiksi North Air Base

The closure was a direct result of the severe economic crisis in Russia during the 1990s. The post-Soviet government faced massive budget deficits, leading to drastic cuts in military spending. Maintaining a network of remote, expensive, and logistically complex Arctic bases like Tiksi North became financially unsustainable. This was coupled with a temporary shift in military doctrine and a perceived decrease in strategic threat from the West, which made many Cold War-era forward operating bases seem redundant.

The site is completely abandoned and in an advanced state of decay. Satellite imagery of the coordinates reveals a derelict runway, likely constructed of gravel or ice, which is now crumbling and unusable. The outlines of former taxiways and building foundations are visible, but the infrastructure is in ruins. The airfield is not maintained and is being slowly reclaimed by the Arctic permafrost and tundra. It serves no purpose and is inaccessible for any form of aviation.

During the Cold War, Tiksi North was a key strategic military airfield for the Soviet Union. It functioned as a forward operating base and a 'staging' or 'bounce' airfield ('aerodrom podskoka') for Soviet Long-Range Aviation. Its primary purpose was to support strategic nuclear-capable bombers, most notably the Tupolev Tu-95 'Bear'. By refueling and staging from Tiksi North, these bombers could significantly extend their range, allowing them to reach targets in North America via flight paths over the North Pole. The base was an integral part of the Soviet Union's Arctic defense shield and its nuclear deterrent posture, projecting power into the high north.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening the old Tiksi North Air Base. As part of Russia's 21st-century remilitarization of the Arctic, military and financial resources have been concentrated on the comprehensive reconstruction and modernization of the main Tiksi Airport (ICAO: UEST, IATA: IKS), located a few kilometers to the south. The modernized Tiksi Airport now serves as a dual-use facility for both civilian and military operations, capable of handling modern military aircraft. This consolidation of resources at the main airport makes the restoration of the separate, derelict Tiksi North base both unnecessary and economically impractical.