Tapa Airfield

{{Short description|Airfield in Estonia}}

{{Infobox airport

| name = Tapa Airfield

| nativename = Tapa lennuväli

| nativename-a =

| nativename-r =

| image = Аэродром Деловой.jpg

| image-width =

| caption =

| IATA =

| ICAO = EETA

| type = Military

| owner =

| operator = Estonian Air Force

| city-served =

| location = Tapa

| elevation-f = 331

| coordinates = {{Coord|59|14|06|N|025|57|06|E|region:EE|display=inline,title}}

| pushpin_map = Estonia

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Estonia

| pushpin_label = EETA

| website =

| metric-elev =

| metric-rwy = Y

| r1-number = 05/23

| r1-length-m = 2500

| r1-surface = Concrete

| stat-year =

| stat1-header =

| stat1-data =

| stat2-header =

| stat2-data =

| footnotes = Sources: Forgotten Airfields[http://www.forgottenairfields.com/estonia/laane-viru/tapa-s273.html Tapa Airfield] at Forgotten Airfields[http://airportguide.com/airport/info/EETA EETA] at Airport Guide (elevation)

}}

Tapa Airfield {{airport codes||EETA}} is an unused air base in Estonia located {{convert|3|km|abbr=on}} southwest of Tapa. During the Cold War it was home to the 656th Fighter Aviation Regiment PVO (IAP PVO).{{cite web|url=http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/regiment/iap/656iap.htm |title=656th Fighter Aviation Regiment PVO |publisher=Ww2.dk |date= |accessdate=2022-09-18}} For most of the time the regiment was part of the 14th Air Defence Division of the 6th Air Defence Army.

Tapa's interceptor regiment initially operated the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (ASCC: Fresco) then the Sukhoi Su-9 (ASCC: Fishpot) in the 1960s and 1970s. This aircraft was replaced in 1978 with the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23M (ASCC: Flogger-B).[https://web.archive.org/web/20170123204647/https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/cia-rdp81t00380r000100980001-5 PHASEOUT OF FISHPOT IN APVO STRANYY AIRFIELDS USSR], February 1981, CREST: CIA-RDP81T00380R000100980001-5, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC.

In 1987, interceptor aircraft were dispatched from Tapa to intercept Mathias Rust's Cessna 172 in a famous Cold War incident.{{cite web|url = http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/rust.html?c=y&page=1|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081020173457/http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/rust.html?c=y&page=1|url-status = dead|archive-date = 2008-10-20|title = The Notorious Flight of Mathias Rust, Air & Space Magazine|accessdate = 2008-09-04|last = LeCompte|first = Tom|date = July 2005}} To prevent a recurrence, the 384th Independent Helicopter Squadron (384 OVE) was deployed here with the Mil Mi-24P (ASCC: Hind-F) between 1989 and 1992.{{cite web|url=http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/squadrons/ove/384ove.htm|title=384th independent Helicopter Squadron|publisher=Soviet Armed Forces 1945-1991|access-date=4 January 2023}}