The KAL 007 airliner shootdown in 1983 by a Soviet Su-15 Flagon interceptor was one of the reasons USAF fighter jets returned to Misawa. Those 1960’s-vintage Soviet fighters were based at Dolinsk-Sokol Air Base on Sakhalin Island, about 20 miles north of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, between the towns of Dolinsk and Sokol. An ageing fighter jet, the Flagons were soon replaced by MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors of the 777th Fighter Aviation regiment of APVO.
In addition, there was a MiG-23 Flogger regiment of APVO to the north at Smirnykh Air Base, and three anti-aircraft missile regiments on Sakhalin, the most pertinent being the 752nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment at Kohutuvo, near Yuzhno-Sakalinsk. The SA-2 Guideline Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) was common still then, and one can still see an old SA-2 site on Google Earth on the southeast side of Cape Crillon, the southernmost point of Sakhalin island, which is the largest island in the Russian Federation. Cape Crillon is about 30 miles from Japan’s Cape Soya on Hokkaido Island. Not to mention some air defenses with the ground forces based on the island, missile and gun.
The 777th FAR operated the Foxhound at Dolinks-Sokol through the 14TFS era, but was withdrawn after the Cold War. The base has not been maintained well, looking at it in Google Earth shows a number of dilapidated buildings, empty shells without roofs. The runway and a few facilities are kept in operational condition in order to support deployments from the mainland. There are still some Foxhounds in the Far East, modernized MiG-31BM/BSM’s in the Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk areas, as well as Flankers in Vladivostok and up at Komsomolsk.
Of note, in December, 2020, Foxhounds deployed to Anadyr Air Base near the Bering Strait – there is some concern about the hypersonic-missile carrying capability of the MIG-31 (it can carry a single Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (Dagger) missile). (see reference below)
In addition, Google Earth imagery shows the presence of a modern air defense unit at the air base, probably a battalion of the Khomutovo-based 1724th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment equipped with the S-400 Triumph (aka SA-21 Growler) SAM system. A fire control radar, a radar mobile mast system and eight Transporter Erector Launchers were observed in the southwest side of the base on Google Earth imagery viewed on 25 February 2021.
In addition to the S-400 units, it’s likely there are also Pantsir-S self-propelled gun/missile systems deployed with them for short-range air defense, as referenced in a Russian press announcement of 9 January 2021 which announced that four S-300 regiments and 24 Pantsir-S systems were delivered to three air defense units, including one stationed in South Sakhalin region. The Pantsir S carried the SA-22 Greyhound SAM and 30mm cannons. (see references)
The Cold War-era fighter interceptors on Sakhalin were not replaced after the end of that long struggle, but this new advanced SAM with a 215-miles range provides a ground-based air defense intercept capability against a variety of aerial target types. In some ways it’s reasonable substitute and cost-effective, though one can’t exactly use such missiles to fly out and observe an unidentified aircraft in one’s airspace. But since Dolinsk-Sokol appears to be a reserve base, fighters from the mainland can deploy and operated in austere conditions if needed.
References
Dolinsk-Sokol AB: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolinsk-Sokol_(air_base)
Smirnykh AB: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smirnykh_(air_base)
11th Air Force and Air Defense Forces Army Order of Battle, 1988: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11th_Air_and_Air_Defence_Forces_Army
11th Air Force and Air Defense Forces Army Order of Battle, 2020: http://www.easternorbat.com/html/russian_air_force_eng.html#Russian11thAirandAirDefenceArmy
Russian Military Forces: Interactive Map: https://www.gfsis.org/maps/russian-military-forces
Air/Air Defense Forces of Eastern Russia, 2016: https://www.russiadefence.net/t5331-russian-aerospace-forces-vks-bases-locations-units-equipment
MIG-31 Foxhound: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan_MiG-31
S-400 Triumph SAM System: https://www.armyrecognition.com/russia_russian_missile_system_vehicle_uk/s-400_triumf_sa-21_growler_missile_russia_air_defense_system.html
Russian press announcement of 9 January 2021 about deployment of air defense systems: https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12333813@egNews
Pantsir gun-missile system: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantsir_missile_system
Russia’s deployment of the MIG-31 in the Far East with hypersonic missiles could threaten U.S. military bases: https://www.iamnotresponsible.com/2020/12/04/russias-deployment-of-the-mig-31-in-the-far-east-with-hypersonic-missiles-could-threaten-u-s-military-bases/
Cold War Samurai – The 14th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1987 - 1991 