Měřín highway strip

49°22'57"N 015°56'03"E

runway: 12/30 - 2300x00m - concrete

Měřín highway strip (Měřín záložní letiště na dálnicích) was an amergency (wartime) airfield 130 kilometers southeast of Prague
It served as a backup for the airbase at Náměšt. The airfield was built before 1980 and upon completion it was immediately used during an exercise. During the exercise, between 19 September and 3 October, the airstrip was used by two squadrons of MiG-21MF/MA 'Fishbeds'. On 25 and 26 September 1980, 6 MiG-23BN 'Floggers' of 28.SBOLP landed and took off from the airfield. 26 Su-7 'Fitters' of 20 and 28 SBOLP only made practice approaches from the airfield. For safety reasons they were not allowed to land yet, as their ejection seats were not suitable for this sort of mission.
The airfield was used a second time during exercises in September and October 1985. This time the airfield was used by the then brand new Su-25K 'Frogfoots'.


Four MiG-23 'Floggers' on an aircraft parking at Měřín in 1980 (Piloti.snadno.eu, via lidovky.cz).

The emergency airstrip is no longer in use, although Jan Pejšek of the Czech Monistry of Defense stated in an interview with lidovky.cz that they do not want the two existing runways (Měřín, and Vyškov) to disappear completely.
It is still readily recognisable from the air.


Overview of the Měřín highway strip in 2009 (Google Earth)