Graf Ignatievo Air Base

Graf Ignatievo Air Base is located in the village of Graf Ignatievo, 10 kilometers north of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Constructed in the 1930s with assistance from German engineers, the airfield was transferred to Bulgarian His Majesty's Air Troops in 1940. Initial operations were conducted by the 2nd Army Aviation Regiment, which utilized Avia B.534 fighters, PZL.43 light bombers, and Letov S.328 reconnaissance aircraft. The regiment transitioned to a ground-attack role in 1943 using Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers.

Post-war history included the operation of Ilyushin Il-2/M3 and Petlyakov Pe-2 aircraft. Jet operations began in 1951 with the arrival of the 15th, 19th, and 21st fighter air regiments. Early jet inventory included the Yak-23, Yak-17, and MiG-15. During the Cold War, the base hosted various Soviet-designed aircraft, including the MiG-17, MiG-19, and several variants of the MiG-21. In 1961, the 19th Fighter Air Regiment (FAR) was incorporated into the 10th Composite Aviation Corps.

The base is currently operated by the Bulgarian Air Force and serves as the state’s sole fighter installation. It was redesignated as the 3rd Fighter Air Base in 1994 following the reorganization of the 19th FAR and the subsequent incorporation of personnel and assets from the disbanded 5th Fighter Air Base.

The facility houses two squadrons of jet aircraft. Current operations involve the use of MiG-29 and Su-25 aircraft. Infrastructure at the site includes ground aviation support units and a control tower. The base functions as the primary air defense installation for the Bulgarian Air Force and hosts multiple units responsible for fighter and ground-attack missions.