While much is made of the Russian Air Force in western circles, and its pedigree with the former Soviet Frontal Aviation guarding the Motherland, less is known about Russia’s Naval Aviation arm largely due to the shortage of aircraft carriers within the Russian Naval hierarchy.

The Russian Naval Aviation is the air arm of the Russian Navy, having superseded Soviet Naval Aviation. The Russian Navy is divided into four fleets and one flotilla: Northern Fleet, Pacific Ocean Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea Fleet, and Caspian Flotilla.

The air forces of the largest and most important fleets, the Northern and Pacific fleets, operate long range Tu-142 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft,IL-38 medium-range ASW aircraft, and Ka-27 shipborne ASW and search-and-rescue (SAR) helicopters. Formations operating supersonic Tu-22M3 bombers were transferred to the Russian Air Force’s Long Range Aviation in 2011. The relatively small fleets, the Baltic and Black Sea, currently have only tactical Su-24 bombers and ASW helicopters in service. The small Caspian Flotilla operates An-26 and Mi-8 transports, Ka-27PS rescue helicopters, as well as some Ka-29 and Mi-24 armed helicopters.

Severomorsk-3 (also referred to as Malyavr or Murmansk Northeast) is an air base of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located 28 kilometers (17 mi) east of Murmansk, next to Lake Malyavr in the west of the Kola Peninsula.

In the late 1950s, Severomorsk-3 was an operating location for Tupolev Tu-16 Badger medium bombers and featured an 8200 ft (2500 m) concrete runway. In 1970 and 1971 Tu-16 jets in Egyptian Air Force markings were observed conducting training flights at Severomorsk-3. During the 1970s the airfield was designated as a Yakovlev Yak-38 Forger base for the Murmansk area whenever its parent Kiev-class aircraft carrier was in port. Extensive Marston Mat planking was laid at the base in the late 1970s to support the Yak-38’s VTOL requirements.

After the USSR’s breakup, the main operator of Severomorsk-3 was 279 OMSHAP (279th Independent Naval Shturmovik Aviation Regiment), operating at least 41 Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft in 1992, with 4 Su-25UB and 5 Su-25UTG trainers, plus 27 Yakovlev Yak-38 and 1 Yak-38U aircraft. The unit changed its name to the 279th OKIAP (279th Independent Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment) sometime between 1992 and 2016 and it made up of two fighter and one training squadrons operating the Sukhoi Su-33, Sukhoi Su-27UB & Su-25UTG.

The 100th Independent Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment (100th OKIAP) is based here and made up of two fighter squadrons operating the Mikoyan MiG-29KR/KUBR.