Sitalchay Military Airbase
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OwnerAzerbaijan Air Force
OperatorNone
LocationSitalchay
Coordinates40°47′02″N 049°24′02″E / 40.78389°N 49.40056°E / 40.78389; 49.40056
Map
Siltachay is located in Azerbaijan
Siltachay
Siltachay
Location of airport in Azerbaijan

Sitalchay (Azerbaijani: Sitalçay) Military Airbase is a military airbase located in the East of Azerbaijan, near the Caspian Sea. It is located 70 km North-West of the capital Baku in Sitalchay, a village and municipality in the Khizi Rayon.[1] The airbase is fenced and guarded but has not been operational since 1992.

History

The Sitalchay air base was the location of the first Soviet Air Forces Sukhoi Su-25 unit. The first eleven production aircraft were assigned to the 80th or 60th Separate Assault Aviation Regiment, based at Sitalchay, in April 1981.[2]

In June 1981 the 200th Separate Assault Aviation Squadron was formed at Sitalchay and then deployed to Afghanistan. In the late 1980s and early 1990s it became a base for a regiment of Su-25s of the 34th Air Army of the Soviet Air Forces.

Possible use by Israel

In March 2012, the magazine Foreign Policy reported that the Israeli Air Force might be preparing to use the airbase, located 500 km from the Iranian border, for air strikes against the nuclear program of Iran.[3] Since then some analysts as well as news agencies started presenting the issue as something confirmed.[4] Although confirming that Israel is seeking such access, political circles in Azerbaijan deny such consent from Baku.[1] Moreover, high-ranking politicians deny any possibility of using Azeri territory for any strike against Iran; a development that Iran sees as possible.

References

  1. 1 2 "Azerbaijan Disputes Story On Azerbaijani-Israeli Military Collaboration Against Iran". Eurasiareview.com.
  2. ↑ "Sukhoi Company (JSC) - Airplanes - Military Aircraft - Su-25К - Historical background". Sukhoi.org. Archived from the original on 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  3. ↑ Perry, mark (28 March 2012). "Israel's Secret Staging Ground". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  4. ↑ "Israel kauft ein Flugfeld in Aserbaidschan" (in German). Nachrichten-politik.au. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
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