Air Bases
Executive Summary
This brief consolidates verified information on three Russian aviation sites of military relevance: Ramenskoye/Zhukovsky Air Base (the Zhukovsky International Airport and the Gromov Flight Research Institute flight-test aerodrome), the Sormovo airfield associated with the Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft Plant Sokol, and the Staraya Russa airfield hosting an aircraft repair facility known for work on the Ilyushin Il-76 and Beriev A-50. The sites serve complementary roles in flight testing, manufacturing/modernization, and depot-level maintenance of key Russian military aircraft.
AB Ramenskoye/Zhukovsky – Location and Airfield Data
Ramenskoye (also known as Zhukovsky; IATA: ZIA, ICAO: UUBW) is located in Zhukovsky, Moscow Oblast, approximately 36 km southeast of central Moscow. The aerodrome is the flight-test base of the Gromov Flight Research Institute (LII) and also hosts the Zhukovsky International Airport passenger terminal (opened to civil operations in 2016). The principal runway (12/30) is a heavy-duty concrete strip approximately 5,402 m in length and about 120 m in width, making it one of the longest runways in Europe and suitable for very heavy and experimental aircraft operations. The site regularly supports large transports (e.g., Il-76 family) and prototype/test aircraft.
Gromov Flight Research Institute (LII) – Mission and Capabilities
The Gromov Flight Research Institute (LII im. M.M. Gromova) at Ramenskoye is Russia’s primary flight-test and research center for aircraft and systems. Activities include experimental flight testing, certification support, instrumentation development, and flight-research training. LII operates specialized flying laboratories (historically including Il-76LL engine testbeds) and provides large apron, hangar, and telemetry infrastructure suited to prototype and systems trials across fighter, transport, and civil platforms. LII is part of the National Research Center "Zhukovsky Institute" structure that consolidates major Russian aerospace research organizations.
International Aviation and Space Show (MAKS) – Venue Use at Zhukovsky
The International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS) has been staged at the Zhukovsky/Ramenskoye airfield since 1993, typically on a biennial schedule. The event uses LII’s runway, taxiways, and aprons for static displays and flight demonstrations, including public appearances of new Russian prototypes and systems. The last edition was held in 2021; the 2023 show did not take place after official statements cited security considerations. As of 2024, there is no public record of a subsequent MAKS having been held at Zhukovsky.
AB Sormovo and Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft Plant Sokol – Site Overview
The Sormovo airfield in Nizhny Novgorod is the factory aerodrome of the Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft Plant "Sokol" (historically Gorky Aircraft Plant No. 21). The facility has long served as a major production and maintenance center for Mikoyan fighters, with the airfield supporting production flight-testing and post-overhaul acceptance flights. Sormovo is distinct from Nizhny Novgorod’s civil Strigino Airport and is directly adjacent to Sokol’s industrial complex in the Sormovo district.
Sokol Plant – Aircraft Programs and Current Roles
Sokol historically produced multiple MiG types, notably the MiG-15/17/19/21, MiG-25, and the MiG-31 interceptor in serial quantities (serial MiG-31 production ended in the 1990s). The plant manufactured the two-seat MiG-29UB trainer variant and has remained engaged in maintenance and modernization activities for legacy MiG platforms. Sokol has been a principal site for the overhaul and upgrade of MiG-31 aircraft to contemporary standards (e.g., MiG-31BM/BSM), with United Aircraft Corporation reporting periodic deliveries of modernized airframes in recent years.
Yak-130 Program Participation at Sokol
Sokol participated in the Yak-130 combat trainer program, including prototype construction and initial/early production activities. Subsequent large-scale series production for the Russian Ministry of Defense has been centered at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant (Irkut Corporation). Publicly available sources indicate Sokol’s role has included early builds and program support, while Irkutsk has handled the main volume of series deliveries.
MiG-31E and MiG-29UB – Clarifications on Production and Export
The "MiG-31E" designation refers to an export-oriented variant of the MiG-31 offered on the international market; open sources do not document serial export deliveries under that designation. In contrast, the MiG-29UB (9.51) two-seat fighter-trainer was produced at Sokol and supplied to the Soviet/Russian air services and export customers. Sokol continues to support MiG-29 family maintenance and refurbishment activities, as required by domestic contracts and customer sustainment programs.
AB Staraya Russa – Maintenance Facility for Il-76 and A-50
Staraya Russa, in Novgorod Oblast, hosts an aircraft repair facility historically associated with depot-level maintenance and overhaul of Ilyushin Il-76 transport airframes and the Beriev A-50 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft (the latter based on the Il-76 airframe). While A-50 modernization to the A-50U standard is conducted by Beriev at Taganrog (Yuzhny), Staraya Russa’s repair plant has been publicly linked to heavy maintenance and refurbishment of Il-76-family structures and systems, and to scheduled/unscheduled support activities for A-50 platforms not related to the Taganrog modernization line.
Infrastructure and Throughput Considerations
Zhukovsky’s exceptionally long and wide runway permits operations by very heavy transports and experimental aircraft and supports large-scale static displays; extensive taxiway networks and aprons accommodate flight-test and exhibition traffic. Sormovo’s factory airfield is configured for fighter-sized assets and post-maintenance test operations tied to Sokol’s production and overhaul shops. Staraya Russa’s airfield supports acceptance, ferry, and post-maintenance functional flights of Il-76-based airframes, indicating runway load-bearing and length sufficient for medium-to-heavy transports. Specific, current throughput rates for maintenance and upgrade lines are not publicly disclosed.
Organizational Ownership and Control
Sokol and Beriev are part of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), which is controlled by the Rostec State Corporation. The Gromov Flight Research Institute is within the National Research Center "Zhukovsky Institute" framework that consolidates key Russian aerospace research entities (including TsAGI, CIAM, VIAM, and others). The Zhukovsky civil airport operations are managed by Ramport Aero under civil aviation regulations, coexisting with LII’s test range functions on the same aerodrome.
Recent Status Notes (through 2024)
Public communications by UAC in 2021–2023 reported continued deliveries of modernized MiG-31 aircraft from Sokol to the Russian Aerospace Forces. MAKS did not take place in 2023; the last confirmed edition at Zhukovsky was in 2021. Open-source reporting through 2024 indicates ongoing A-50 fleet modernization to A-50U at Taganrog and depot-level Il-76 support activity at established repair facilities, including the one at Staraya Russa. Detailed production quantities, schedules, and the current operational tempo at these sites are not publicly released.
Information Gaps and Classification Notes
Precise current runway dimensions for Sormovo and Staraya Russa, detailed shop capacities, work-in-progress counts, and exact contract schedules are not published in open sources; where such details exist, they are likely restricted. Unit-level dispositions, sortie rates, and on-site inventories are also not publicly available. This brief therefore confines itself to verifiable facts from open-source references about each site’s identity, historical roles, infrastructure character, and publicly reported activities.