Kazakh Air Defense Forces | |
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Әуе қорғаныс күштері Силы воздушной обороны | |
![]() Air Force Roundel | |
Founded | 1 June 1998 |
Country |
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Branch |
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Type | air force |
Role | Military aviation |
Size | 12,000 airman[1] |
Part of | Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan |
Headquarters | Nur-Sultan |
Colors |
Light Blue White |
Anniversaries | May 7 |
Commanders | |
Supreme Commander-in-chief | Kassym-Jomart Tokayev |
Ceremonial chief | Major General Nurlan Karbenov |
Chief of Staff | Major General Nurzhan Mukanov |
Insignia | |
Flag of the Air Force |
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Aircraft Identifier |
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Military bases of Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh Air Defense Forces (Kazakh language: Әуе қорғаныс күштері, Russian: Силы воздушной обороны) is the aviation warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Their tasks includes the ensurance of the protection of the airspace of the republic as well as the fulfillment of combat missions for air support of other branches of the armed forces. The official holiday of the air forces is Aviation Day on August 18. The general composition of the Air and Air Defence Force is as follows:[2]
- Military Aviation
- Air Defence Forces
- Center for Parachute Training
- Air Traffic Control Center
Today the Air and Air Defence Force has four jet bases:[3][4]
- 600th Guards Air Base (Zhetigen, Nikolayevka, Almaty)[5]
- 602nd Air Base (Chimkent)
- 604th Air Base (Taldykorgan Airport)
- 610th Air Base (Sary-Arka Airport, Karaganda)
The Talgat Bigeldinov Military Institute of the Air Defence Forces serves as the only educational service of the air force, having trained cadets from foreign countries including Hungary, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan.[6][7][8]
History[]
Soviet era[]
In the first formation of the Central Asian Military District, it operated a Soviet Air Force district branch led by Major General M.P. Kharitonov. It operated in the early to mid-40s during the Second World War, and consisted of air brigades based on the territory of the Kazakh SSR.[9] The 73rd Air Army provided all air support for the district,[10] being known as the Air Forces of the Central Asian Military District from 1980 to 1988. Air defence was also provided the 12th and 14th Air Defence Armies. The 57th Separate Airborne Brigade based in Aktogay.[11] was the only unit of the Soviet airborne based in Kazakhstan.
Post-independence[]
At the time of the declaration of the independence of Kazakhstan and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the 24th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Division as well as three other separate air regiments were stationed in the country.[12] By late 1993 the small Kazakh Air Force consisted of a six regiments as well as an air defence fighter regiment.
It included the following units:
- 11th Division
- 129th Fighter-Bomber Regiment (Taldy Kurgan)
- 134th Fighter-Bomber Regiment (Zhangiztobe)
- 149th Bomber Regiment (Zhetigen/Nikolayevka)
- 715th Fighter Regiment (Lugovaya)
- 39th Reconnaissance Regiment (Balkhash Airport
- 486th Helicopter Regiment (Ucharal)
- 356th Fighter Aviation Regiment (Semipalatinsk), led notably by Major General Aliy Petrovich Volkov
Modern era[]

An air force CAIG Wing Loong during a Defender of the Fatherland Day parade on Independence Square in Nur-Sultan.
By decree of President Nursultan Nazarbayev on 17 November 1997 "On Further Measures for Reforming the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan" and the directive of Minister of Defense Sagadat Nurmagambetov on 1 April 1998, the Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces were formed, with ita first day of operation being on 1 June 1998. By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense Forces on 17 April 2008, the professional holida is Aviation Day on August 18.[13][14]
In November 2007, Kazakhstan signed an agreement with the Belarusian to modernize 10 Russian made Su-27 fighter plane at an aircraft repair plant in Baranavichy designated for the Air Defence Forces. On 28 October 2010, the framework for Eurocopter's creation of a 50/50 joint venture with Kazakhstan Engineering was established, which saw a sale of 45 of these locally assembled aircraft for government missions in the country.[15] In November 2011, Eurocopter delivered the first of six EC145s ordered to date by the Kazakh Ministries of Defence and Emergencies.[16] In early January 2012, Airbus Military signed a firm contract with the state-owned Kazspetsexport defence company, to supplying two EADS CASA C-295 military transport aircraft and signed a Memorandum of Understanding for another six aircraft, which were to be delivered over the course of the following year. In 2008, EADS made titanium sourcing agreements with Kazakh suppliers.[17] In May 2012, Kazakhstan announced its intent to acquire 20 Eurocopter EC725 helicopters that were to be assembled in Astana by officials from Kazakhstan Engineering and fitted by the Turkish firm Aselsan.[18]
Aircraft[]
Combat aircraft[]

A Kazakhstan Sukhoi Su-27

Antonov An-72 of Kazakh Air Force
Aircraft | Country | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MiG-31 | multirole | 20[19] | |||
MIG-29 | Interceptor aircraft | 12[20] 2[20] |
|||
Sukhoi Su-25 | CAS | 14[19] | |||
Sukhoi Su-30 | multirole | Su-30SM | 12 | 24 on order[19] | |
Sukhoi Su-27 | Air Superpriority/Multi Role Fighter | Su-27/Su-27BM2 and Su-27UB/Su-27UBM2 | 21 |
Transport aircraft[]
Aircraft | Country | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Transport | ||||||
Tupolev Tu-154 | VIP | Tu-154M | 1[19] | |||
Antonov An-12 | ![]() |
heavy transport | 1[19] | |||
Antonov An-26 | ![]() |
transport | 5[19] | |||
Antonov An-72 | ![]() |
heavy transport | 2[19] | STOL capable aircraft | ||
CASA C-295 | ![]() |
transport | C-295M | 8 | all 8 planes delivered for 2018 [19] |
Helicopter[]
Aircraft | Country | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mil Mi-17 | utility | Mi-8/17 | 50[19] | ||
Mil Mi-35 | attack | 8 on order[19] | |||
Mil Mi-26 | heavy lift / transport | 2 | 4 on order[19] | ||
Eurocopter EC145 | ![]() |
utility | 12[19] | assembled in Kazakhstan |
Trainer aircraft[]
Aircraft | Country | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aero L-39 | ![]() |
jet trainer | 17[19] |
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)[]
Aircraft | Country | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAIG Wing Loong | ![]() |
MALE UCAV | 4 | Four exported in 2016 [21] |
References[]
- ↑ IISS 2013, 221.
- ↑ https://www.mod.gov.kz/rus/struktura/vooruzhennye_sily_rk/sily_vozdushnoi_oborony/struktura/
- ↑ Vad777, Brinkster.net, July 2010
- ↑ https://www.scramble.nl/orbats/kazakhstan/armedforces
- ↑ https://asker.kz/blog/tag/600-ya-gvardejskaya-aviabaza
- ↑ 167 ЛЕЙТЕНАНТОВ ПРИНЯЛИ ПРИСЯГУ, Окт 31 2013
- ↑ Военный институт Сил воздушной обороны им. дважды Героя Советского Союза Т. Я. Бегельдинова // Министерство обороны Казахстана
- ↑ В небе он был неустрашим // «Красная звезда». 05.09.2013
- ↑ Leo Niehorster, Order of Battle, CAMD, 22 June 1941, Orbat.com.
- ↑ Holm, Michael. "73rd Air Army". http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/army/73va.htm.
- ↑ "57th independent Landing-Assault Brigade". http://www.ww2.dk/new/vdv/57odshbr.htm. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
- ↑ Michael Holm, 24th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Division, accessed October 2011. Note division was given as the 11th in Kazakhstan AF Restructures, Jane's Defence Weekly, 25 September 1993
- ↑ https://www.mod.gov.kz/rus/struktura/vooruzhennye_sily_rk/sily_vozdushnoi_oborony/osnovnaya_informaciya
- ↑ https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/centralasia/kazak-airforce.htm
- ↑ "HeliHub Kazakhstan buys 45 EC145s and signs production JV with Eurocopter". http://www.helihub.com/2010/10/28/kazakhstan-buys-45-ec145s-and-signs-production-jv-with-eurocopter/. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ↑ "HeliHub First of six EC145s deliverd to Kazakhstan". http://www.helihub.com/2011/11/28/first-of-six-ec145s-deliverd-to-kazakhstan/. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ↑ Defense Industry Daily, EADS-Signs-its-Own-Titanium-Deal-with-Kazakhstan
- ↑ "Airbus Group". airbusgroup. http://www.eads.com/eads/int/en/news/press.20120510_ec_ec725_kazakhstan.html. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ↑ 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 19.11 19.12 "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-world-air-forces-maintaining-strength-443655/. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 International Institute For Strategic Studies (2018). The Military Balance 2018. London: Taylor&Francis. ISBN 9781857439557.
- ↑ Fischer Junior, Richard. "Kazakhstan purchases two Chinese Wing-Loong UCAVs" (7 June 2016). http://www.janes.com/article/61042. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
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