Step (air base)

Step (also Olovyannaya) is an air base in Chita, Russia located 14 km northwest of Yasnogorsk. It is a large air base with two revetment areas and numerous military fortifications. It is near an SS-11 missile field that was dismantled in the mid-1990s.

Step Olovyannaya
Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai in Russia
Step Shown within Zabaykalsky Krai Show map of Zabaykalsky Krai Step Step (Russia) Show map of Russia
Coordinates	51°1′0″N 115°26′0″E
Type	Air Base
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Russian Aerospace Forces
Controlled by	11th Air and Air Defence Forces Army
Site history
Built	1948 (1948)
In use	1948 - present
Airfield information
Identifiers	ICAO: XIAS
Runways Direction Length and surface 09/27 2,500 metres (8,202 ft) Concrete

The 849th Assault Aviation Regiment, part of the 253rd Assault Aviation Division, was stationed at Step up until 1956.[1]

Units stationed at Step/Olovyannaya include:

• 6th Aviation Regiment of Fighter-Bombers (6 APIB) flying Sukhoi Su-17 in the late 1980s; under 23rd Air Army, Transbaikal Military District.
• 58th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (58 APIB) flying Su-17M3 and L-29 aircraft in the late 1980s, and receiving MiG-27 in the early 1990s. It was under 23rd Air Army (Trans-Baikal).
• 266th Independent Shturmovik Aviation Regiment (266th Assault Aviation Regiment, 266 OShAP) flying Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft.[2] Disbanded circa 2009.

The base appears to have been closed after a boiler room fire in December 2009. Thereafter, the base was reopened and the 266th Independent Shturmovik Aviation Regiment was reformed with at least two squadrons of Sukhoi-25s in 2019.[3] The regiment by this time had been shifted into the Eastern Military District's 11th Air and Air Defence Forces Army.