Kazakhstan Buys Airbus Military Transport Planes

Airbus Military

A C-295 transport aircraft, in service with the Czech Air Force

Kazakhstan has signed an agreement to buy eight military transport planes from Airbus, making it the first military in Central Asia to operate a non-Russian airplane (excluding helicopters). The Ministry of Defense agreed to buy two C-295 planes next year, and signed a memorandum of understanding to buy six more by 2018.

From a press release from the company:

The aircraft will be operated by the Air Forces of Kazakhstan in support of their transport missions throughout the nation´s vast territory....

Kazakhstan is now our first customer country within the CIS region. We will ensure that we live up to this mark of confidence and stand by our new customer for many years to come”, said Rafael Tentor, Head of Airbus Military Aircraft Programmes. “This is exactly the kind of transport capacity Kazakhstan needs for current and future missions. The capabilities of the C295, combined with its cost-efficiency, ensured that it was selected over alternative offers for the renewal of the military transport fleet of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the 10 tonne payload class.”

According to the Ministry of Defense, Airbus agreed as part of the deal to provide technical data so that Kazakhstan can maintain the airplanes itself.

The C-295 is used for moving troops into relatively austere conditions, and can take off from and land on unimproved runways. They fill the same niche as the C-130, which the U.S. has proposed donating to Kazakhstan, as part of its effort to help the country better protect its sparsely populated but strategically important West. Those discussions have gone on for years without result, though, and the fact that Kazakhstan is buying the C-295s suggests that the C-130 deal with the U.S. has fallen through.