Redzikowo

54°28'44"N 017°06'27"E

Runway: 09/27 - 2200x60meters/...feet - concrete

Redzikowo airfield (lotnicka Redzikowo, also known as Fliegerhorst Stolp-Reitz, ICAO: EPSK) was an airfield 360 kilometers northwest of Warsaw.
Construction of the airfield began in 1936. It was to serve as a military replacement for Flugplatz Stolp on the southwest side of Stolp (present day Słupsk).
The airfield was initially built on a 1200x1200meter field. It featured 6 hangars, flight control, the base command and barracks for the soldiers.
On 1 May 1939 II. Gruppe of StG2 "Immelmann" was set up with 3 Staffeln (squadrons). II. Gruppe was replaced with III. Gruppe in September, also with 3 Staffeln. Shortly after II. and III. left the Jagdfliegerschule Stolp-Reitz was formed on 19 September 1939. It had 3 Staffeln, and moved to Grove (Karup) in Denmark on 15 January 1940.
From 1 Aprl 1944 until 23 January 1945 Stab./ and I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 103 were stationed at Stolp-Reitz. They were joined by II. Gruppe from 15 October.
Amazingly Stolp never attracted the attention of Allied bomber planners. The airfield was blown up on 8 March 1945 in order to prevent the undamaged airfield from falling into enemy hands. By the end of the day, the region and the airfield were occupied by the Red Army. It immediately became a Soviet front line base.


Undated Polish map of Redzikowo. In line with communist policy airfields were not shown on maps (wiadomosci24.pl).

After the end of the war the thusfar German region became part of Poland and Reitz was renamed to Redzikowo.
The airfield remained under Russian control until 1950, when it was turned over to the Polish Air Force. The base was subsequently used by the 28 Słupski Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego (28th Słupsk Fighter Aviation Regiment).
The airfield made great impressions during international exercises, which were held at the base until 1993. In 1975 twice daily flights to and from Warsaw were introduced. Regular flights to Wroclaw and Katowice also occurred.


Three MiGs-23MF from Redzikowo AFB taxiing after landing - late 90's.


A lone MiGs-23MF on the apron at Redzikowo AFB - late 90's.

After the fall of communism Polish businessmen tried to reinstate the airline services, but they could not make a solid business case.
In 1999 the 28 Fighter Regiment was relocated to Marlbork. The airfield still supports some limited flying in support of the local air base support unit.
The base was intended to become the location for a US Missile Defense complex in 2012, but that project was cancelled in 2009. The US still intend to build a similar but revised installation though.
In 2018 a new unit equipped with Standard Missile(SM-3) Block IIA is to be based at the airfield. The airfield itself is for sale.


Slupsk-Redzikowo airfield in 2006 (Google Earth)