Hamadan Airbase

"OIHS" redirects here. For high school in Ulithi, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia known under the acronym OIHS, see Outer Islands High School. For the Chicago high school using the acronym OIHS, see Ogden International School.

Hamadan Airbase (IATA: NUJ, ICAO: OIHS) or Shahrokhi Airbase^[3] or Noje Airbase^[4] (Persian: پایگاه هوایی شهید نوژه) is an Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) base located 47 km north of Hamadan in the Central District of Kabudarahang County, Hamadan province.^[5] The airbase is named after Captain Mohammad Noje who became, on August 16, 1979, the first IRIAF pilot to be killed in action.^[6] The Nojeh coup plot took place there in 1980.^[7]

Hamadan Airbase Persian: پایگاه هوایی شهید نوژه
IATA: NUJ[1] ICAO: OIHS
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner/Operator	Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Location	Hamadan
Elevation AMSL	5,613 ft / 1,711 m
Coordinates	35°12′42″N 48°39′12″E[2]
Map
Hamadan Airbase
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 05/23 3,936 12,915 Asphalt 13R/31L 4,359 14,300 Asphalt

Russian Air Force use

See also: Russia–Syria–Iran–Iraq coalition

Since 16 August 2016,^[8] the Russian Air Force′s^[9][8] Tupolev Tu-22M long-range bombers^[8] and Sukhoi Su-34 strike fighters^[8] have used the base for conducting raids over Syria as part of the Russia's military intervention^[8] into the Syrian conflict.^[8] The bombing missions support the Syrian Arab Army in operations against the Syrian opposition and the Islamic State. It is the first time Iran has let a foreign country use its territory for military operations since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.^[10][11][12]

Later in August 2016, Iran's minister of defense Hossein Dehghan clarified that Iran was hosting Russia′s aircraft at the request of the Syrian government and Russia was free to utilise it as long as it was necessary.^[13][14] The following day, on 21 August, he appeared to criticise Russia's actions as rash and self-aggrandizing and was quoted as saying, “Under no circumstances will we ever provide Russians with a military base. They have not come here to stay.”^[15] On 22 August 2016, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said Russia would stop using the air base for Syria airstrikes "for the time being".^[16][17]

Population

The airbase is listed as a village in census documents. At the time of the 2006 National Census, the airbase's population was 7,576 in 2,260 households.^[18] The following census in 2011 counted 9,292 people in 2,173 households.^[19] The 2016 census measured the population of the airbase as 5,098 people in 1,547 households. It was the most populous settlement in Raheb Rural District of the Central District of Kabudarahang County.^[5]

See also

• Nojeh coup plot
• List of longest runways

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