Russia to Establish Air Base in Kyrgyzstan, Deals Blow to US Strategic Interests in Central Asia

Russia has deployed military aircraft to Kyrgyzstan with the aim of establishing an air base in the Central Asian nation. Military officials from both countries say the base is designed to enable Russian jets to provide close-air support for ground units of Collective Security Treaty (CST) member states against potential security threats. Meanwhile, regional analysts are characterizing the development as a strategic setback for the United States.

Early reports on the Russian deployment provided contradictory information. Russian media said December 2 that two Su-25 attack jets and two Il-76 military transport planes had landed at a military airfield in Kant, about 20 kilometers (16 miles) from Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital. Kyrgyzstani media, meanwhile, said inclement weather had delayed the arrival of the attack jets. The deployment comes just days before Russian President Vladimir Putin's scheduled visit to Kyrgyzstan on December 5. The Kabar news agency reported that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov is expected to arrive in Kyrgyzstan on December 4 to inspect the base and hold talks with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Esen Topoyev.

Topoyev said the Kant base would, in addition to hosting the Russian air unit, be the home of a CST rapid-deployment force, Kabar reported. About 700 Russian civilian and military personnel will be housed at the Kant base to provide logistical support and maintenance for the air unit, the Interfax news agency said.

The Russian deployment now means that Kyrgyzstan is host to two foreign air bases, the other being the US facility at Manas, a Bishkek suburb. The US base, which was established in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, is designed to provide air support for regional operations by the anti-terrorism coalition, including ongoing efforts in Afghanistan. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archives]. Kyrgyz and Russian officials stress the Kant base is being developed under the auspices of the CST, a regional alliance that includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Officials implied that the new base is defensive in nature, and aims to enhance the Kyrgyz army's ability to respond to potential incursions by Islamic radicals.

A source at the Russian Defense Ministry said the unit is designed to counter "the emergence of a real security threat on the Commonwealth of Independent States' southern border," the RIA-Novosti news agency said.

In all, Russia plans to deploy five Su-25 attack jets, five Su-27 fighters, two An-26 transports, two Il-76 transports, five L-39 training jets and two Mi-8 helicopters at Kant, Interfax said, citing informed sources. The Russian aircraft would form the core of the air unit, based at Kant. Officials in Bishkek said Kyrgyzstan would also would contribute helicopters, trainers and transport aircraft to the force. At present, the Russian jets are in Kyrgyzstan on a temporary basis, but both Kyrgyzstani and Russian media have indicated that a permanent basing agreement could be reached in the future.

In 1999 and 2000 fighters from the radical Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) were active in southern Kyrgyzstan's Batken region. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archives]. The US-led blitz against Afghanistan, where the IMU had resupply and training bases, destroyed the radicals group's combat capabilities. However, in recent months, Kyrgyz officials have expressed concern that the IMU is regrouping and may soon be in position to mount new incursions into Central Asia, or launch terrorist strikes. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archives].

The establishment of the Kant air base marks a significant shift in Russian-Kyrgyz relations. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Russia's influence across Central Asia waned, as the United States established a military presence in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Now, however, Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev appears eager to court Putin's support. The pro-government Vecherny Bishkek newspaper on December 2 described the Russian president as "a desired guest." A newspaper commentary added that there is "no alternative" to Kyrgyz-Russian cooperation. "The future of Kyrgyzstan is unthinkable without the support of Russia," the commentary said.

The warming relationship between Moscow and Bishkek deals a blow to US strategic interests in the region. One Russian political analyst suggested that the United States had not paid enough attention to the Akayev administration's security needs. Not only is the Kyrgyz government confronting a threat posed by Islamic radicals, but it also is grappling with an increasingly confrontational domestic political opposition. Akayev now appears to believe that Russia can provide more support for his embattled administration than can the United States.

"More hope in Kyrgyzstan was [initially] placed on the US air base, located at the capital's Manas airport," analyst Vadim Nochevkin wrote in the Vremya MN newspaper on December 3. "The Americans, however, have made it understood that they have only one aim – Afghanistan."