[2] The military airbase was opened for operations on the 20 April 1952 as part of the huge modernization program of the air force, intended to transit the inventory in the jet age.

The following year saw a group of the regiment's flight officers being dispatched to the USSR for an operational conversion course to the advanced MiG-21 fighter.

The major re-armament program of the Bulgarian Air Force, started in the 1970s saw the squadron once again converting to a superb fighter type, when a group of pilots and ground engineers went to the Soviet Union (The Operational Conversion Center at Lugovoye, Kyrgyz SSR) for a conversion course to the MiG-23MF in 1978.

The live firings at the Astrakhan Range, USSR, made shortly after achieving operational readiness and being graded "excellent" have shown that the Bulgarian pilots have been trained to the fullest of the aircraft's capabilities.

The five units saw action in Afghanistan and came from the 168th Fighter Air Regiment of the Soviet Airforce at Starokonstantinov, modern Ukraine.

In 1998 the former regiment's airbase at Gabrovnitsa (being reformed as 2nd Air Defence Base and its squadron named "Wild Cat") ceased operations and its aircraft and personnel were transferred to Dobroslavtsi.