Un Tu-16P Bouket "Badger-J" saisi au décollage à Oranienburg en mai 1980. © USMLM.
A Tu-16P Buket "Badger-J" taking off from Oranienburg in May 1980. © USMLM.
Soviet Aviation Regiments based in the Warsaw Pact countries and other units from "brother countries" (mainly Poland and Czechoslovakia) were regularly
deployed on airfields in East Germany, or visited the local firing ranges. For the Soviets, these visits consisted mainly in air-to-air firing campaigns over
the Baltic Sea or air-to-ground firing on the ground firing ranges, while visitors from other countries of the Warsaw Pact came essentially during large joint
exercises like "Waffenbrüderschaft" (weapons brotherhood). In addition, the Czechs also used the air-to-air firing range situated off the Rügen island
(see > The Target-Towing Units and > Zona Balt).
But other more unexpected visitors coming directly from the USSR flew on a regular basis to East Germany: the heavy bombers of the Dal'nyaya Aviatsiya (Long-range
aviation) and those of the Soviet Navy Air Component (Aviatsiya Voyenno-Morskogo Flota - AVMF).
These visits could take different aspects: navigation exercises, temporary deployments or even raids on a
firing range sometimes without landing in the GDR. With the exception of some testimonies of Soviet origin, the information available on these activities are rare and
are mainly coming from Western intelligence services.
Visiting aircraft during the years 1960-1980 included Tupolev Tu-16 "Badger" of various versions, Tu-22 "Blinder"
versions, Tu-22M2 "Backfire-B" and Tu-22M3 "Backfire-C." During the Cold War, the Tu-22M2/M3 were incorrectly designated Tu-26 in the West.
Bombers, often from the 46.VA at Smolensk (1), regularly entered East German airspace during long-range navigation exercises.
They approached East German airspace from the north, along the Baltic Sea coast, in two-ship formations, passing successively under the air trafic control of Gdansk, Kolobrzeg, and Damgarten.
The flight altitude was 9,450 or 10,500 meters.
Three scenarios were then possible:
- Turn around and head east
- Descent south under Wittstock's command, turn east under the successive control
of Werneuchen,
Poznan, Warsaw... (or vice versa from south to north)
- Descent south under Wittstock's command, Zerbst, Altenburg, Milovice (CSSR) and turn east (or vice versa from south to north).
On these last two routes, the bombers sometimes followed a seemingly incomprehensible sawtooth trajectory.
Yet, when one drew a line at the turning point, it lead inevitably to NATO radar stations (2)
located on the West German territory. While one aircraft was likely to launch an anti-radar missile, the second protected the raid with electronic counter-measures.
The objective was to blind NATO defenses and thus create penetration corridors (3).
But perhaps it was simply a provocative action intended to force radars to switch from standy to active mode in order to gather their characteristics
(see > "Blinder over Berlin"). Industrial centers were also targeted on these routes.
Overflights, with descents to 300 m, could occur
over the Wittstock firing range, but the bombers did not necessarily drop bombs. Guards Colonel Valeri Tamarovski, commander of the 20.GvAPIB at Gross Dölln between 1989
and early 1993, stated in a letter that Tu-22[M] regularly flew to Gross Dölln for navigation exercises. The aircraft remained on site for four to six hours
or spent the night there - is this an allusion to the story told in "Blinder over Berlin"? - before departing.
Some missions were aimed at verifying the readiness of Warsaw Pact forces. A former crew member from the 57th Naval Missile Aviation Division of the Blatic Fleet
(Morskaya Raketnaya Aviatsionnaya Divisiya - MRAD) based at Bykhov, Belarus, described one of his missions as follows: "Numerous flights were conducted to test the readiness
of the air defenses. We flew Tu-16s (later Tu-22s) and also checked the alert level of the Warsaw Pact Air Defence Forces.
One Sunday evening, we took off and headed south under a cloudless sky. IFF were off and we kept radio silence. As a precaution, the radio was set to channel 1 [124.000 MHz -
Warsaw Pact ATC common channel] and channel 3 [130.750 MHz - Warsaw Pact common channel for training] so that we could communicate with the fighters
if necessary. We flew over Romania, Bucharest, Bulgaria (Sofia, callsign "Vrazhdebnyy" - Tolbukhin "Omega" - Graf Ignatievo "Blokada"),
we passed near Budapest and Prague, then headed for Berlin (command post of the 16.VA "Aldan"), Damgarten ("Melodrama") and finally
Warsaw, Kaliningrad and Bykhov, where we landed at 5.00 am. Conclusion: Romania, silence; Bulgaria, silence; the Czechs requested a QRA launch, but we crossed
their airspace from the south in eight minutes and they did not have time to take off; the Germans... concise orders, take off and precise guidance; however they didn't
intercept us because we were already in Poland. Upon our arrival at Mamonovo (Kaliningrad) four to six PVO interceptors were waiting for us at our altitude. Clearly, Uncle
Sasha had phoned Uncle Vanya to tell him our estimated time of arrival."
A large platform, initially divided into slots to accomodate six Tu-16s, was available at the southeast end of the main runway
(3500 x 80 meters, the longest in East Germany), which ran east-west.
At the southern end of the second reserve runway (2500 x 60 m) which ran north-northeast/south-southwest, were six additional parking areas specifically designed to accommodate
another six Tu-16s.
During its construction in the early 1950s and throughout the following years (1952-56), Gross Dölln airbase was specifically designed to accommodate heavy bombers on deployment
(4).
Deployments to airfields of the 16th Air Army could sometimes involve an entire regiment, comprising 20 to 30 aircraft. Thus, a bomber division
(approsimately 60 to 80 Tu-16 and Tu-22M.) was deployed around Berlin in May 1985 at the airbases of Werneuchen, Brand and Gross Dölln.
In addition to the bombers, Il'yushin-Beriev A-50 "Mainstay" AWACS aircraft were also occasionally observed in the GDR,
particularly at Damgarten and Lärz, where an aircarft was sometimes stationed during joint air exercises with fighter aircraft. The A-50s were then in service with the
67.OAE DRLO from Zoknyay (Siauliai) in Lithuania (where they replaced the Tu-126 "Moss" AWACS from 1984 onwards). They also joined the German airspace from an airfield at
Zhurzhevo (Smolensk) where the 339.VTAP, equipped with Il-76s was based.
The unit was disbanded in 1992 and its aircraft transferred to 144 OTAP DRLO.
The last sighting of an A-50 in East Germany was in September 1990. The aircraft landed at Damgarten on September 12 and was observed by a BRIXMIS crew the following day. The final annual report of the British military liaison mission stated: "The MAINSTAY visited the Forward Area on many occasions during 1990, but did not always land in the GDR." This A-50, lacking bort nomer marking, carried out an air control mission the following day in support of the 33.IAP at Wittstock. It then landed again at Damgarten before departing the next day.
| One summer in Poland... In late May or early June 1980, I was preparing for my summer exams for university. One beautiful, warm afternoon, I was sitting in my room, a law book in my hand. Suddenly I heard the sound of jet engines. At that time, military aircraft flying at low altitude were nothing unusual, even over the large cities, but I enjoyed watching what was going on. My curiosity grew as the noise level slowly increased: it was much louder than a lonely "Fishbed" on patrol. I went out onto my east-facing balcony. I saw many people on the balconies of other apartments, shouting and pointing to something above me. Suddenly I saw an incredible sight: three Tu-16 "Badger" silhouettes in perfect delta formation, barely 1,000 meters above my head. They were heading east, slow and majestic, with no fear. Soon after, two more appeared behind them. They were flying very close together, all lights and strobes on and I could see a thin hose connecting them! "Air to air refuelling!!!" I shouted, excited like a child. Many of my neighbours knew I was passionate about aviation, so they asked me "What is going on? Is it war?" No, I replied, just a group of Russian strategic bombers returning from exercises in East Germany. I told them to consider it a simple, free air show and not to worry. Yes, I know that my hometown, Torun, is a bit north of the traditional "Berlin - Moscow Autobahn," but what is such a distance to heavy bombers? Just a few minutes of flight! I could recount this story solemnly before a court of law, if anyone would like me to. Milosz Rusiecki. - The airfield and the country from which those Tu-16 took off remain uncertain - |
 |
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 | Air Strike on Wittstock | | Blinder over Berlin |
Known deployments (5)
> August 1960: Tu-16 at Werneuchen
> June & August 1961: Tu-16 at Werneuchen
> April 1963: Tu-16 at Oranienburg
> August 1965: two Tu-16 observed on take off at Grossenhain
> July 1969: observation of several three-ship Tu-16 formations dropping aluminium chaffs in the Finow area.
27 Tu-16 in total took part in this action - aircraft based at Finow. The Tu-16 that dropped chaffs were clearly Tu-16 Yelka
> July 6, 1972: bombardment of the Wittstock firing range at night by Tu-16 of the 132.TBAP coming directly from USSR
> August 1974: Tu-16 of the Baltic Fleet (Bychov) at Werneuchen
> July 1975: Tu-16 of the Baltic Fleet (Bychov) at Oranienburg
Tu-16 of the Baltic Fleet (Ostrov) at Werneuchen
> 1976: Tu-16 of the Baltic Fleet at Oranienburg
> July 1978: five Tu-16 of the Baltic Fleet seen at Werneuchen
> 1979: annual deployment of Tu-16
> Mai 1980: Tu-16 observed at Oranienburg (four Tu-16P "Badger-J" and one Tu- 16 "Badger-A" identified)
> July 1983: first deployment of Tu-22M2 "Backfire-B" outside the USSR at Gross Dölln
> June 1984: landing of Tu-22K "Blinder-B" of the 121.GvTBAP at Gross Dölln and Falkenberg during Zapad 84 maneuvers
Tu-16 at Finow
> 1985: deployment of a bomber division composed of Tu-16 and Tu-22M. at Werneuchen (June), Brand and Gross Dölln
> 1987: Tu-22M3 "Backfire-C" at Falkenberg
> March & August 1988: Tu-22M2 "Backfire-B" at Falkenberg
A-50 "Mainstay" at Falkenberg in March (seen orbiting above the Retzow and Wittstock firing ranges)
> February/March: A-50 (airborne control for the 35.IAP)
> April 1990: last deployment of heavy bombers in the GDR at Falkenberg (eight Tu-22M3)
> September 1990: last deployment of an A-50 in the GDR at Damgarten
notes
(1) During the 80's, the 46.VA controlled the following units :
- 199.GvODRAP : Tu-22R
- 290.ODRAP : Tu-22R
- 226.OAP REB : Tu-16P
- 13/15/22/326.TBAD : Tu-16/Tu-22/Tu-22M2
Read the page "Blinder over Berlin"
(2) NADGE network : NATO Air Defence Ground Environment
(3) Testimony of a radio-intercept operator based at Tegel.
(4) Three more airbases located in Warsaw Pact countries were also
adapted as advanced platforms for heavy bombers: Powidz in Poland, Mosnov
in Czechoslovakia and Mezökövesd-Klementina in Hungary
(from "Rote Plätze" par L.Freundt & S.Büttner - AeroLit).
(5) BRIXMIS - MMFL - USMLM - EES 32/351 - V.Kabanov - "Rote Plätze"
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