Klyuchi (air base)
Klyuchi Air Base is in Kamchatka Krai, Russia located southwest of the settlement of Klyuchi. It is a small but significant interceptor airfield covering northern Kamchatka, probably to defend international borders during nearby missile testing operations at Kura Missile Test Range 130 km to the northeast. Klyuchi contains about twelve fighter revetments and some narrow tarmac space. It is an active military base; Google high-res imagery shows some An-24 and other transports, along with helicopters.
Early US satellite imagery showed the airfield was constructed in 1963, replacing an old airfield about 10 miles to the east-southeast. In another satellite pass in 1966, analysts saw mostly transports such as the Lisunov Li-2, an Antonov An-2, and a helicopter.
An OSAE with An-26 aircraft is or was based at Klyuchi. The airfield may have reverted to some civilian use since the Cold War.
