Temp Air Base (Northern Shamrock)

Temp is a military air base located at the western end of Kotelny Island, Sakha, Russia. It serves the station Severny Klever, also known as Northern Shamrock. The base is owned by the Ministry of Defence and operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces. It is home to the Aviation Command, 182nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 326th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. The base was originally developed in 1949 as a minor polar airfield during the Soviet era, supporting communication with Tiksi Airport using Lisunov Li-2 aircraft. In the 1960s, a radar surveillance site was installed. The station was mothballed in 1993. Around 2010, the Russian government decided to restore the station as part of a national initiative to secure Russia's arctic regions, with work beginning on October 29, 2013. The airfield's runway is situated on a pebble spit and was initially capable of servicing Antonov An-72 aircraft. The base accommodates approximately 50 military personnel. In March 2014, an airborne paratroop battalion of the Ivanovo 98th Airborne Division conducted a readiness exercise, landing 350 soldiers on an island near the airfield. In September 2014, the 99th Tactic Arctic Group permanently established the base by commencing construction of a runway, pier, and accommodation facilities. The airfield can now receive Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft year-round, which significantly enhances its resupply capabilities.