Overview

Upgrades at Severomorsk-1 Air base increases Russia's operational readiness, presence, and capabilities in the northwest Arctic region, improving domain awareness and operational capacity around the Kola Peninsula. Further upgrades would expand operational capacity towards the GIUK-N Gap. However, GEOINT analysis shows slow construction progress.

Severomorsk-1 can deepen Russia's strategic reach and propel its forward line of defense further from its coastline, enhancing anti-access/aerial denial capabilities near and around the Kola Peninsula.

Activity

GEOINT analysis shows mostly slow construction and modernization progress at Severomorsk-1 Air base.

Article

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Introduction

Russia's western Arctic houses a concentration of advanced conventional capabilities for defensive and potentially offensive purposes centered on the Kola Peninsula and home to its Northern Fleet headquarters, which hosts Russia's most advanced Arctic land, air, and naval assets notably its nuclear arsenal and second-strike capabilities. The Peninsula's location a gateway between the Arctic and the North Atlantic and its extensive military assets make it central to Russia's homeland defense and power projection capabilities.

Russian military modernization efforts and new construction on the Kola Peninsula have centered around the refurbishment of air bases and expansion of naval bases. kmlSeveromorsk-1 Airbase AnnotationsSeveromorsk-1 Air Base, Gadzhiyevo Submarine Base, and Okolnaya Submarine Support Base are particularly important due to their expansion and added depth to Russia's defenses while ensuring Russia's freedom of navigation and air sovereignty. Neighboring sites, such as the Plesetsk Cosmodrome located at the Kura Missile Test Range in Arkhangelsk, enhance Russia's Arctic military capabilities as the recent Grom-2019 exercise demonstrated. The Plesetsk Cosmodrome is a particularly noteworthy site for testing advanced weapons like the RS-24 Yars ICBM.

Military exercises and weapons testing in and around the Kola Peninsula are frequent and reveal Russia's operational readiness to engage its nuclear forces in potential conflict to deter adversaries. Exercises such as Ocean Shield and Grom-2019 also demonstrate Russia's calculation that the Arctic is a critical domain to its national security, power project capabilities, and economic interests. It is assessed that Russia's modernization and expansion efforts will continue on and around the Kola Peninsula well into the future with the ultimate aim of asserting Russian sovereignty across the region.

Modernization of Severomorsk-1 Air Base

Located on the southern outskirts of Severomorsk and approximately 15.5 kilometers northeast of Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula (Murmanskaya Oblast) is the Severomorsk-1 Air Base. Severomorsk-1 dates to World War II when it was known simply as Severomorsk Air Base which protected the Soviet Union's northern flank and provided air protection for both navy facilities on the Kola Peninsula and allied supply convoys destined for the port of Murmansk.¹ During the Cold War, Severomorsk-1's strategic importance increased, along with that of its two sister air bases Severomorsk-2 and Severomorsk-3. Strategic bombers (e.g., Tu-16/-95), strike (e.g., Su-24) and patrol aircraft (e.g., Il-38) based or staged were tasked with protecting the Soviet Unions northwestern Arctic flank and providing strategic strike capability against the United States. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the serviceability and capabilities of the Severomorsk air bases declined precipitously.

The strategic importance of Severomorsk-1 reemerged however during late-2011 or early 2012. During that time the Russian military began an extensive multi-year modernization project of the base,² which was in advance of the Russian Defense Ministry's 2013 announcement that it was reengaging in the Arctic to guard its northern approaches, protect mineral and energy resources, and monitor shipping on the Northern Sea Route.³ Since 2014, the Air Base falls under the command of the Northern Fleet.⁴

Satellite imagery of the Severomorsk-1 Air Base (69.030776 N, 33.42271 E) from May 14, 2012 shows that the base ceased to be operational as the modernization project was underway. Noticeable developments include:

The concrete on the main runway and taxiways has been removed and the sub-surface was being graded
All operational aircraft had been moved to other air bases (likely Severomorsk-3)
The remaining non-operational retired aircraft awaiting parts recovery and scrapping have been concentrated along the southwest side of the base in abandoned revetments with 18 aircraft visible
The helicopter servicing and storage facility (also used for parts removal and scrapping) in the southwest corner remained operational with at least 67 helicopters of several types and in various states of repair.

(Severomorsk-1 Air Base, May 14, 2012)

(Severomorsk-1 Air Base, May 14, 2012)

(Severomorsk-1 Air Base, May 14, 2012)

(Severomorsk-1 Air Base, May 14, 2012)

Five years later, on July 30, 2017, satellite imagery shows that considerable -- albeit very slow progress was made:

While the base was still not operational, the paving of the 3,500-meter-long runway appears to have been finished
Several new taxiways were under construction
The revetments and parking aprons for operational aircraft, at the north end of the runway had been completed
The infrastructure for the instrument landing system (ILS) was under construction
The 18 retired aircraft awaiting parts recovery and scrapping that were previously in abandoned revetments on the southwest perimeter had been repositioned to an unimproved taxiway in the center of the air base
The number of helicopters at the helicopter servicing and storage facility declined to approximately 53 of several types and in various states of repair
Many of the previously abandoned aircraft revetments have been razed

(Severomorsk-1 Air Base, July 30, 2017)

(Severomorsk-1 Air Base, July 30, 2017)

(Severomorsk-1 Air Base, July 30, 2017)

(Severomorsk-1 Air Base, July 30, 2017)

(Severomorsk-1 Air Base, July 30, 2017)

More recently, a September 4, 2019 satellite image, shows that while the air base had once again become operational, the modernization project was not complete as much of the work on some infrastructure (e.g., completion of taxiways and aprons) remained to be completed. Among the indications that the base had become operational were:

Patrol and transport aircraft and helicopters are deployed on aprons and in revetments at the north end of the runway
The presence of a transport aircraft on a taxiway leading to the runway
Tire tracks from landings are visible on either end of the runway
The taxiways and aprons continue to be slowly expanded
The number of helicopters at the helicopter servicing and storage facility continued to decline with approximately 36 of several types and in various states of repair being present
Only 12 of the approximately 18 retired aircraft awaiting parts recovery and scrapping remain. Several of which show recent signs (e.g., wings sections laying on the ground, etc.) of being disassembled