656th Figher Aviation Regiment PVO
The 656th Figher Aviation Regiment PVO was a Soviet Air Defence Forces formation based in Tapa Airbase, Former Estonian SSR, subordinated to the 14th Air Defence Division which was responsible for the Air Defence of the Estonian SSR. The unit was equipped with MIG-23MLD fighters and famously is known for being the base in which the fighters took off from to intercept Mathias Rust’s Cessna 172. The base also had a tank regiment and a pioneer regimen as well as the 384th Independent Helicopter Squadron with MI-24 Hind-F’s from ‘89-‘92. The base had ecological damage due to the dumping of jet fuel and other petrols oils and lubricants.
All of the base nowadays comes under the Estonian Defence Force command, with the airfield section being used mainly by the Estonian 1st Infantry Brigade and the British led Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup, with elements of the French and Danish armies.
Most of the Soviet era buildings on the airfield side have gone, with new barracks in their place, although the hard concrete plane hangars still remain in place as well as a few decaying buildings like the ATC, the old Soviet accommodation for the base is across the road and despite being guarded by Estonian Defence Forces, it is completely abandoned and decaying and also contains some nice pre-war Soviet architecture, out on the training area there are tons of bunkers, ranging from space for a few people to complete hidden vehicle hangars, although I didn’t have my phone at the time to get any pictures.
I also added pics from when it was in use.
The 656th Figher Aviation Regiment PVO was a Soviet Air Defence Forces formation based in Tapa Airbase, Former Estonian SSR, subordinated to the 14th Air Defence Division which was responsible for the Air Defence of the Estonian SSR. The unit was equipped with MIG-23MLD fighters and famously is known for being the base in which the fighters took off from to intercept Mathias Rust’s Cessna 172. The base also had a tank regiment and a pioneer regimen as well as the 384th Independent Helicopter Squadron with MI-24 Hind-F’s from ‘89-‘92. The base had ecological damage due to the dumping of jet fuel and other petrols oils and lubricants.
All of the base nowadays comes under the Estonian Defence Force command, with the airfield section being used mainly by the Estonian 1st Infantry Brigade and the British led Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup, with elements of the French and Danish armies.
Most of the Soviet era buildings on the airfield side have gone, with new barracks in their place, although the hard concrete plane hangars still remain in place as well as a few decaying buildings like the ATC, the old Soviet accommodation for the base is across the road and despite being guarded by Estonian Defence Forces, it is completely abandoned and decaying and also contains some nice pre-war Soviet architecture, out on the training area there are tons of bunkers, ranging from space for a few people to complete hidden vehicle hangars, although I didn’t have my phone at the time to get any pictures.
I also added pics from when it was in use.
