Uiju Airfield Explained

Uiju Airfield
Iata:UJU[1]
Icao:ZKUJ
Type:Military
City-Served:Uiju, North Korea
Elevation-F:32
Elevation-M:10
Coordinates:40.1517°N 124.4986°W
Pushpin Map:North Korea # Asia # North Pacific # Earth
Pushpin Relief:y
Pushpin Mark:Roundel of North Korea.svg
Pushpin Marksize:15
R1-Number:05/23
R1-Length-F:8,180
R1-Length-M:2,493
R1-Surface:Concrete
Hangul:의주비행장
Rr:Uiju bihaengjang
Mr:Ŭiju pihaengjang
Context:north

Uiju Airfield is an airport in Uiju County, Pyongan-bukto, North Korea.

History

In May 1982, three STYX Cruise Missile containers arrived at the airfield’s ordnance storage facility. The storage facility consisted of two large, two medium concrete bunkers, two vehicle storage buildings, and three support buildings. In January 1983, 25 Ilyushin Il-28 departed from the airfield and were deployed to Taetan Airport.[2] In November 1983, a STYX Cruise Missile and associated STYX equipment was deployed on the airfield.[3]

In March 2021, the airfield served as the Uiju Quarantine Center, as North Korea’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. By December, the quarantine center opened. The center alos served as a cargo decontamination facility for containers brought in by freight trains from China.[4] In August 2024, the containers were all removed. After three years of absence, 31 Ilyushin IL-28 medium-range bombers arrived at the airfield. The bombers belonged to the 24th Bomber Regiment.

In October 2024, 31 H-5 bombers were spotted on satellite having returned to the airfield, along with several other H-5 and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 that were likely not airworthy.[5]

The airfield is home to the Korean People's Army Air Force's 24th Bomber Regiment, which has at least 32 Harbin H-5 (Ilyushin Il-28) bombers on site as of 2010.

Facilities

The airfield has a single concrete runway 05/23 measuring 8180 x 174 feet (2493 x 53 m).[6] It is sited in the Yalu River plain, a few miles northeast of the Chinese city of Dandong. It is also a few miles northeast of Sinuiju Airport. It has a full-length parallel taxiway, and several taxiways that access dispersed aircraft stands.

References

  1. Web site: Airline and Airport Code Search. IATA. 22 April 2016.
  2. Web site: CIA-RDP90T00784R000200550005-9 . Central Intelligence Agency . 2024-12-02.
  3. Web site: CIA-RDP84T00171R000300140001-4 . Central Intelligence Agency . 2024-12-02.
  4. News: Davies. Christian. 2021-11-15. North Korea building project points to reopening of border with China. Financial Times. 2022-01-19.
  5. Web site: Williams . Peter Makowsky, Martyn . 2024-10-07 . Uiju Military Airfield Welcomes Back Bombers - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea . 2024-10-08 . 38 North . en.
  6. http://www.landings.com/evird.acgi?pass=183127570&ref=-&mtd=41&cgi=%2Fcgi-bin%2Fnph-search_apt&var=13&buf=66&src=_landings%2Fpages%2Fsearch_apt.html&1=ZKUJ&5=&7=&8=&6=&9=&10=&max_ret=10&start_ret=1 Landings database page