Khmeimim (air base)

Khmeimim Air Base, also Hmeimim Air Base is a Syrian airbase currently operated by Russia, located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria. While the airbase shares some airfield facilities with Bassel Al-Assad International Airport, it is only accessible to Russian personnel. In January 2017, Russia and Syria signed a treaty to lease it to Russia for 49 years, extendable for an additional 25.

Name
The name of the air base “Хмеймим” has been transliterated also in other ways, namely Hemeimeem, Hmeymin, all based on the local Arabic name.

History
Khmeimim air base was built in mid-2015 adjacent to the Bassel Al-Assad International Airport to serve as "the strategic center of Russia's military operation against Islamic State". The existence of the Russian strategic base was revealed by the United States in early September and American officials expressed concern over the possibility of escalation of the conflict in Syria. The airbase became operational on 30 September 2015.

During September 2015 the air base came under rocket attack by local Syrian rebels apparently using Grad missiles.

At the end of September 2015, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe, General Philip Breedlove, said that the kind of military infrastructure that Russia had installed in Syria, which included anti-aircraft defence systems, was a de facto no-fly zone: “As we see the very capable air defense [systems] beginning to show up in Syria, we’re a little worried about another A2/AD [anti-access/area denial] bubble being created in the eastern Mediterranean.” (Russia’s third denial zone around Europe)

The Su-24 shoot-down by Turkish fighters on 24 November 2015 was reported to be when the Russian jet was on its way to return to Khmeimim.

The military Tu-154 that crashed with loss of 92 lives on December 25, 2016 was on a flight from Sochi to Khmeimim.

Operation
The new infrastructure was erected "from scratch". Air-conditioned accommodations were built within a few months in 2015 for about 1,000 people. Other new structures included an air traffic control tower, runway extensions, storage facilities, field kitchens, and refuelling stations. Supplies were flown in from Russia or shipped via Tartus harbour 50 km away.

The base can handle Antonov An-124 Ruslan and Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft and can accommodate more than 50 military aircraft including Sukhoi Su-24s, Sukhoi Su-25s, and Sukhoi Su-34s. In addition, the base is home to T-90 tanks, BTR-82 vehicles, artillery, with Mil Mi-24 gunships and Mil Mi-8 support helicopters.

After the 24 November 2015 shootdown of a Su-24, a S-400 defensive missile system was installed, allowing Russia to defend the air space from Southern Turkey to Northern Israel.

At the end of January 2016, Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets started to be deployed.

In February 2016, one Tupolev Tu-214R was reported to have been deployed.

At the end of February 2016 and in response to developments at the Geneva peace talks, a truce coordination center had been established at the airbase to coordinate activities of warring parties and "render maximum assistance" to all parties participating in recent ceasefire agreements; the center will not support ISIL, Al-Nusra, and terrorist groups so designated by the UN Security Council.

On 14 March 2016, President Putin announced the start of a withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria; Khmeimim, however, will continue to be used as a Russian airbase. By this time, over 9,000 sorties had been conducted since September 2015.

In November 2016 after the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov lost a MiG-29K fighter due to arrestor cable problems satellite images indicated that at least some of the carrier's air wing of MiG-29K and Sukhoi Su-33 aircraft had been deployed to Khmeimim.

The Sixth Directorate of the Russian GRU reportedly operated a signals intelligence station by the airport.

Legal status
The air base facilities are currently used by the Russian Aerospace Forces under an agreement signed with the Syrian government. The Syrian military is in charge of protecting the base perimeter, while the Russian side is responsible for air defense and internal policing of base personnel. The agreement was signed on 18 January 2017, with both the Russian and Arabic versions of the text having equal value. It has a duration of 49 years, and includes a clause for a tacit renewal for an additional 25 years.