Kazakhstan is one of the few republics that, despite gained independence, has maintained close and friendly relations with Russia. That is why the country's defense complex, including the Kazakh Air Force, today is a full-fledged and strong military structure, one of the most significant in the region.
The remnants of the Soviet past
After the collapse of the USSR, dozens of countries found themselves face to face with a collapsed weapons system. For more than seventy years, the general defense system has been disconnected and destroyed overnight. Now, each new CIS state was forced to form its own bases, charters, train personnel and produce military equipment.
The most important objects of the space industry, as well as the bases of the air force, have always been concentrated in Kazakhstan. By the beginning of the 1990s, the following units were located in the republic:
- Front Line Aviation Operations Department of the 73rd Air Army;
- KGB troops of the USSR, they were designed to protect water and air borders;
- 14th Air Defense Division.
All units were liquidated or transferred to other districts in the early 1990s.
Tasks
Today, of all the CIS countries, Kazakhstan has the second most equipped and equipped air force system. It is part of the structure formed in 1998 - the air defense forces of the Republic or the Navy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Along with other types of troops, the Air Force protects the air borders of Kazakhstan from enemy invasion.
The tasks of the Navy of the Republic of Kazakhstan include the following:
- protection of the air borders of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
- providing cover for important strategic civilian and military facilities;
- air support of other military branches during battles.
For the effective solution of the tasks set, the Air Force of Kazakhstan has all the possibilities. Standing aircraft are capable of hitting targets at any distance. The presence of specialized equipment allows you to detect and prevent any attack attempts in time.
The composition of the air defense forces
In its structure, the Navy of the Republic of Kazakhstan is similar to the device systems of this kind in other countries. It includes the following areas of defense:
- anti-air. These are anti-aircraft missile troops, which provide cover from a possible strike from the sky;
- radio engineering troops - their task is to reconnoiter and track the enemy. This unit always works in conjunction with everyone else, providing information awareness;
- air Force. Aviation is the central link in the country's overall air defense system.
In terms of the level of preparedness of personnel, equipment of combat units of the Air Force and Air Defense of Kazakhstan, it occupies a leading position among other states of the post-Soviet space.
Armament
Today, the technical fleet of the republic’s air force consists almost entirely of Soviet-made or Russian-made aircraft. As of 2016, the air forces of Kazakhstan included 120 training and military aircraft, 17 for transportation and fifty-odd kinds of helicopters.
Fighters are represented by such models: Su-30SM, Su-27S, Su-27BM-2, Su-27UB, MiG-31, MiG-29, MiG-27, MiG-23UB, Su-25. Some of these aircraft under the contract concluded with Belarus were aimed at modernization. On the balance sheet there is only one foreign fighter, a combat trainer manufactured by Czechoslovakia L-39C Albatros.
The Kazakhstan Air Force includes the following transport aircraft: An-30, An-12BP, An-26, An-72, Tu-154m, Tu-134A-3. In addition, there is a Spanish-made aircraft - CASA C-295.
Multipurpose, attack and transport helicopters are also mainly of Russian manufacture - Mi-35M, Mi-24V, Mi-17V-5, Mi-26 TZ. In addition, the arsenal of Kazakhstan is the transport helicopter Eurocopter EC145, assembled in the republic.
In the past few years, the Kazakh Air Force has been trying to modernize or replace obsolete equipment. Contracts were signed for the supply of combat aircraft from Russia.
Identification marks
Modern military paraphernalia was created not so long ago and reflects the sovereignty and national differences of the republic. In addition, the motives of a common history with Russia are guessed. Thus, the flag of the Kazakhstan Air Force in appearance resembles the banner of Russian similar troops: on a blue background in the upper part there are symmetrical white rays, and in the corner of the canvas there is a five-pointed red star. In the middle is the national symbol of the country - the sun and the flying eagle.
The flags of the Air Force and Air Defense of Kazakhstan are somewhat different, the missile defense troops on their standards have a rectangular blue cloth, on both sides in the center there is a contour of a golden eagle and the sun, in the upper left there is a red five-pointed star. It is also a single identification mark for all the arms of Kazakhstan.
Command
Most of the successes of an army always depend on leaders. The training of commanding officers has always occupied a special place during the Soviet era, with the advent of a new reality, some countries tried to take the management system in Western countries, and primarily in NATO, as a basis. However, most of the troops, including the Kazakh Air Force, continue to train leading personnel on systems similar to Russia.
Representatives of today's command all graduated from high schools and had practice in Russia. So, Lieutenant General Ormanbetov Nurlan Sekenovich, appointed commander of the Air Defense Forces of Kazakhstan in 2013, graduated from the Academy. Gagarin and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, as well as his first deputy - Major General Mukanov Nurzhan Nurlanovich. He was trained at the Military Academy of Air Defense. Marshal G.K. Zhukov.
Teachings
In the past few years, the command of the Air Force pays great attention to the level of training of pilots. Until recently, there were no simulators or training machines. Young cadets had to wait in line in order to fly the required number of hours. Today, the aircraft fleet has expanded significantly, in addition, the combat forces of the Kazakh Air Force regularly conduct exercises both of an internal nature and jointly with troops of other countries.
Such events allow you to hone your fighting skills, as close as possible to reality. Only in 2015, military servicemen of the Northern Military District took part in joint exercises with Russia and other post-Soviet states — Karatau, Combat Commonwealth, Aybalta. At the Aviadarts International Competition, the military professional skills of the air force of Kazakhstan were highly noted. Photos of this event are published in Russian and world editions.
Last news
In 2016, many Kazakhstani media mentioned a new replenishment of the air garage with Su-30 SM multi-functional fighters. Thanks to these machines, the squadron can be considered fully equipped. Such cooperation was made possible thanks to the commonwealth of Asian countries under the name of the CSTO. Kazakhstan, as the most active participant in interstate cooperation agreements, received military equipment at domestic prices, without surcharges, as an imported weapon.
All the latest news about the Air Force of Kazakhstan is mainly related to retraining or advanced training of personnel. So, on 05.07.2017, extensive training courses for foremen and unit technicians were held, and a little earlier, in June, the training course for junior military specialists was completed.
In order to popularize professional service in the army and to raise the military-patriotic spirit, the leadership of the Air Force decided to recruit girls under 25 years old for flight courses. Such an initiative is not new; in China, for example, a whole female squadron functions.
Development prospects
The leadership of the republic over the past few years has concluded a number of important contracts for the modernization of the Air Force fleet. Including there was a reprofiling of obsolete Soviet-made cars in Belarus. According to representatives of the Republic's Armed Forces , the immediate prospects for the Kazakh Air Force will be realized by the end of 2018. By this time, the delivery of a new generation of Su-295 aircraft is planned. Thanks to the new combat units, the country's troops will be able to make march-throws over a long distance without additional refueling.
To fully equip the Kazakh Air Force, more than 300 combat aircraft and several dozen transport aircraft are required. According to military experts, the modernization of the existing park requires 5-6% of the country's GDP annually.
In the development prospects, close cooperation with Russia comes to the fore. It is planned to create a common air defense system as a counterweight to a similar NATO system. Some projects in this direction have already begun to be implemented.
Interesting Facts
After the collapse of the USSR, aircraft remained on the territory of the republic for several years, including the Tu-95 MS bomber with nuclear warheads on board. In 1992, the government refused to store and manufacture nuclear weapons, so two years later all the equipment was described and exported to Russia. A year later, a scandalous story occurred when representatives of an international organization found parts of a dismantled bomber at one of the air bases. At the insistence of the audit leaders, everything found was destroyed.
On December 1, 2011, a significant event for the Kazakh Air Force happened - for the first time a local-made helicopter took off. In the Republic, assembly was just taking place, parts and drawings belong to the European company Eurocopter. The first cars will go for the needs of the Ministry of Emergencies and will be engaged in search and rescue operations. It is also planned to release transport helicopters. In the future, it is planned to sell them to Russia.