Kazakh Air Defense Forces
The Kazakh Air Defense Forces were formed in 1998 by merging the air force and air defence troops that Kazakhstan took over from the Soviet Union in 1992. Its Soviet bombers and interceptors went back to Russia, were sold or were auctioned off, and a scandal over MiG-21s sold to North Korea in 1999 cost two ministers their jobs. Today it flies Russian Su-30SMs beside European A400M and C295 transports and Airbus helicopters assembled in Astana, while about 83 per cent of its major weapons still come from Russia.
The Kazakh Air Defense Forces story: Soviet bombers sent home, MiG-21s in North Korea and Su-30SMs beside Airbus transports
1946–1991: a Soviet air army on the Chinese border
Before independence the airspace of Kazakhstan belonged to Soviet air armies based in Central Asia. The 6th Air Army was reformed in Alma-Ata in 1946 to support the Turkestan Military District and became the 73rd Air Army on 10 January 1949. When the Sino-Soviet split turned the Chinese border into a front line, the Central Asian Military District was recreated in 1969 and the 73rd Air Army became its air arm. By 1988 the reorganised Turkestan district had a 49th Air Army, with regiments such as the 737th Fighter Aviation Regiment at Ayaguz. The district also ran the Soviet 40th Army in Afghanistan. At Chagan (Dolon), near Semipalatinsk, the 79th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division had flown Tu-95s since 1957. The good side of this inheritance was its sheer size: long concrete runways, big air bases and trained people. The bad side was that the new republic had not built any of it and could not afford to keep it.
1992–1999: inheritance, bombers going home and the Fulcrums from Russia
On 7 May 1992 President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed the decree that created Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defence and armed forces from the Soviet units on its soil. The strategic bombers were the first thing to go. Kazakhstan took over both Tu-95 regiments at Chagan in 1992 and began returning the aircraft to Russia that year, and by 1994 they had all gone. What stayed was a tactical force: by late 1993, according to Jane’s Defence Weekly, six regiments flew MiG-27s, Su-24s, MiG-29s and MiG-31s. Wikipedia also lists MiG-21s, MiG-23MLDs, MiG-25RB and Yak-28R reconnaissance aircraft. In 1995 Kazakhstan ordered 22 more MiG-29s from Russia, and it received 26 Su-27s between 1996 and 2001. In 1998 the air force and the air defence troops were merged into the Air Defence Forces. This page uses that date; Wikipedia gives 1 June 1998, and the service marked its 15th anniversary in 2013.
1999: the MiG-21s that went to North Korea
The service’s worst scandal came in 1999. Old MiG-21s, which Kazakhstan was retiring, turned up in North Korea. On 9 August 1999 Nazarbayev dismissed the defence minister, Mukhtar Altynbayev, and the chairman of the National Security Committee, Nurtai Abykayev. Radio Free Europe reported that they were dismissed for failing to properly investigate the illegal transfer, and BBC News reported the dismissals as sackings over a plane scandal. Several of Abykayev’s staff were arrested. The numbers are disputed. Wikipedia’s MiG-21 article says North Korea failed to buy 133 MiG-21bis from Kazakhstan but got 30. Its list of MiG-21 operators gives 38 MiG-21bis delivered in 1999 from Kyrgyzstan. How the aircraft left the country was not confirmed from a primary source, so it is not told here. The affair did not end Altynbayev’s career: in March 2000 he became commander of the Air Defence Forces, and he later served again as defence minister.
2000–2019: Belarusian upgrades, Airbus transports and the first Su-30SMs
In the 2000s the service kept its Soviet fleet flying with help from its neighbours. Belarus overhauled and upgraded Su-27s at Baranavichy, which gave the Kazakh Su-27M2 and Su-27UBM2. Then Kazakhstan began buying from Europe. A 50-50 joint venture between Kazakhstan Engineering and Eurocopter began reassembling EC145 helicopters in Astana in 2011. In 2012 a memorandum covered up to eight Airbus C295s, the first C295 sale in the former Soviet Union, and a contract for two more followed on 24 October 2013. The new fighter, however, came from Russia. On 1 May 2015 Irkut handed over the first four Su-30SMs at Taldykorgan, and further orders followed in 2016–2018. In August 2015 Russia gave five S-300PS surface-to-air missile systems free of charge. The fleet was divided: Western transports and helicopters, Russian combat jets. That spread the risk, but it meant maintaining two separate support chains.
2022–2025: January unrest, the great aircraft auction and the A400M
In January 2022 protests became riots, and armed groups briefly seized Almaty airport. President Tokayev asked the Russian-led CSTO for help. About 3,000 Russian paratroopers, with contingents from Belarus, Tajikistan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, arrived in what Russia’s defence ministry said were more than 70 aircraft. They had left by 20 January. The sources checked do not describe any role for Kazakh military aviation. In 2023 the service retired its last MiG-31s, MiG-29s, MiG-27s and Su-24s and offered them at auction in October 2023. In April 2024 the Kyiv Post reported that the United States had bought 81 of them. Kazspetsexport, the state arms trader, denied this and said foreign companies had not been allowed to bid. The first A400M, ordered in September 2021, arrived in December 2024. In August 2024 the ministry said it had chosen the Su-30SM over the Rafale.
2025–2026: crashes, a dead crew and a minister gone
The last two years have been hard. On 25 July 2025 an Air Defence Forces H145 with three crew disappeared over Lake Sorbulak near Almaty. Wreckage was found the next day. Military prosecutors opened a case for breach of flight rules and abuse of power, and the crew’s fate was not confirmed in the reports checked. On 25 February 2026 a Su-30SM crashed 2 km from Sary-Arka airport at Karaganda, and both pilots ejected safely. Dauren Kossanov, a former Su-27 squadron commander who had risen to lead the whole service, became defence minister in June 2025. He was relieved on 27 September 2026, after 14 servicemen died in a naval exercise on the Caspian in which the air force helped with the search. The service now has a real transport arm and a modern Russian fighter. It still depends on Russia: SIPRI counts 83 per cent of Kazakhstan’s major-arms imports in 2021–2025 as Russian.
The Kazakh Air Defense Forces in numbers
Service
- Native name
- Қазақстан Әуе қорғаныс күштері (Kazakh); Силы воздушной обороны (Russian)Short forms as given by Wikipedia; the Ministry of Defence’s own statements in English say “Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan”. mod.gov.kz could not be reached to check the official spelling
- Founded
- 1998Formed by merging the air force and the air defence troops; Wikipedia gives 1 June 1998, and the service marked its 15th anniversary in August 2013. The armed forces themselves date from the decree of 7 May 1992
- Part of
- Armed Forces of the Republic of KazakhstanOne of the branches under the Ministry of Defence; a presidential decree of 6 July 2000 returned the forces to a dual structure of general-purpose forces and air defence forces
- Headquarters
- AstanaPer Wikipedia; not confirmed on an official page
- Air Force commander
- Askar IzbassovCommander of military aviation since 15 July 2025 per Wikipedia; named in that role by Tengrinews on 30 July 2025
- Defence minister
- Maj. Gen. Aidos MyrzakhmetovAppointed 27 September 2026, replacing Lt Gen of Aviation Dauren Kossanov, a former air force commander, after 14 deaths in a Caspian exercise
Strength
- Personnel
- About 12,000Wikipedia’s figure, not confirmed on an official page
- Combat aircraft
-
- Su-30SM — 29–36 (one lost February 2026)
- Su-27/Su-27UB — about 24
- Su-25/Su-25UBM — about 14
Counts from Wikipedia’s inventory table, which draws on the IISS Military Balance 2024 and 2025; the Su-30SM figure differs between Wikipedia articles (29 in 2024, 36 in the inventory table)
- Transport
-
- A400M Atlas — 1 (second on order)
- C295 — 9–12
- An-12, An-26, An-72, L-410 and others — about 20
Airbus’s representative in Kazakhstan gave 12 C295s in April 2026; Wikipedia gives eight plus one ordered in 2019
- Helicopters
-
- Mi-8/Mi-17/Mi-171Sh — about 30–36
- Mi-24V — about 20; Mi-35M — 12
- H145 (EC145) — 20+
- Mi-26 — 4; UH-1H — 4
Wikipedia’s table (IISS-based). The EC145 total is uncertain: eight had gone to the Ministry of Defence by January 2017
- Trainers
-
- L-39 Albatros — about 19
- Z 242L — 2
Per Wikipedia. Pilots are trained at the Talgat Bigeldinov Military Institute in Aktobe
- Armed drones
-
- Wing Loong — 2–3
- Anka — 3–4
Two Wing Loongs in 2016 (Jane’s via Wikipedia) or three (inventory table); three Anka delivered under a 2022 deal that allows 30 more to be built locally
- Ground-based air defence
- S-300, S-200, S-125, S-75, Buk-M2ETypes per Wikipedia; five S-300PS were given by Russia in August 2015
- Defence budget
- US$5.58 billion (2026)Whole armed forces, per Wikipedia; the air arm’s share was not found
Infrastructure
- Jet bases
-
- 600th Guards Air Base — Zhetigen (Nikolayevka), Almaty region
- 602nd Air Base — Shymkent
- 604th Air Base — Taldykorgan
- 610th Air Base — Sary-Arka, Karaganda
Wikipedia’s list. Su-30SMs were handed over at Taldykorgan and fly from Karaganda
- Closed bomber base
- Chagan (Dolon), near SemeyHome of the Soviet 79th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division; Tu-95s gone by 1994, base abandoned in the 1990s
- Flying school
- Talgat Bigeldinov Military Institute, AktobeFounded in 1974 as a civil aviation school and now the service’s own academy
- Local industry
- Astana and AlmatyEurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering reassembles Airbus helicopters in Astana (since 2011); Almaty Aircraft Repair Plant No. 405 assembles Mi-8/Mi-171 helicopters
- Arms imports
- 83 per cent Russian (2021–2025)SIPRI data quoted by The Times of Central Asia; Spain 7.9 and France 3.6 per cent
How the Kazakh Air Defense Forces is organised
One branch of the armed forces, formed in 1998 from the air force and the air defence troops, with military aviation under its own commander and four jet bases on Wikipedia’s list: Zhetigen, Shymkent, Taldykorgan and Karaganda. The Su-30SM, first handed over at Taldykorgan in 2015 and flying from Karaganda, is the main fighter; the last MiG-31s, MiG-29s, MiG-27s and Su-24s were retired in 2023. The surface-to-air missile troops, with systems from the S-75 to the S-300, belong to the same service.
Air Defence Forces
One of the branches of the armed forces under the Ministry of Defence, with its headquarters in Astana per Wikipedia, formed in 1998 by merging the air force and the air defence troops. Military aviation has its own commander, Askar Izbassov since 15 July 2025 per Wikipedia; the commander-in-chief who followed Dauren Kossanov in June 2025 was not confirmed on an official page.
610th Air Base
At Sary-Arka airport: for three decades the only Kazakh MiG-31 base, per Wikipedia, until the type was retired in 2023, and now a Su-30SM base. One of its Su-30SMs crashed 2 km from the airport on 25 February 2026 and both pilots ejected. Whether the Su-27s and Su-25s listed here in 2015 remain was not confirmed.
604th Air Base
Where Irkut handed over the first four Su-30SMs on 1 May 2015. FlightGlobal’s 2015 directory, as cited by Wikipedia, gave the base mainly MiG-27s, retired in 2023, and Su-27s; which types are based here in 2026 was not confirmed by an official source.
602nd Air Base
One of the four jet bases on Wikipedia’s list, sharing its runway with Shymkent International Airport. Dauren Kossanov commanded it before he led the whole service in 2013. Which aircraft it flies has not been published.
600th Guards Air Base
Listed by Wikipedia at Zhetigen (Nikolayevka), north of Almaty, where Kazakhstan took over the Soviet 149th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment and its Su-24s in 1992. The types based here now were not confirmed.
Talgat Bigeldinov Military Institute
The service’s own academy, founded in 1974 as a civil aviation school, where Kazakh military pilots are trained. The service’s trainers are about 19 L-39 Albatros jets and two Z 242Ls, per Wikipedia.
What the Kazakh Air Defense Forces flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-30SMIn service | Multirole fighter | — | 2015 | — | 29–36. Wikipedia’s Su-30SM article gives 24 ordered in three contracts (the last eight in May 2018) and 29 in service in 2024. Its Kazakh inventory table gives 36.
MoreOne crashed on 25 February 2026. |
|
| Sukhoi Su-27 / Su-27UB (Su-27M2, UBM2, BM2 upgrades)In service | Air superiority fighter | 24 | 1996 | — | 20 Su-27 and four Su-27UB per Wikipedia’s table. The defence ministry spoke of 25 in September 2014, and 26 were received from Russia in 1996–2001. | |
| Sukhoi Su-25 / Su-25UBMIn service | Ground attack | 14 | — | 12 Su-25 and two Su-25UBM per Wikipedia’s table; the SM upgrade standard was not confirmed. | ||
| Airbus A400M AtlasIn service | Strategic and tactical transport | 1 | 2024 | — | One delivered in December 2024 of two ordered. | |
| Airbus (CASA) C295In service | Tactical transport | — | 2013 | — | 9–12. Airbus’s head in Kazakhstan gave 12 in April 2026; Wikipedia gives eight plus a ninth ordered in March 2019. | |
| Antonov An-12, An-26, An-72 and An-30In service | Transport and survey | 11 | 1992 | — | Two An-12, six An-26, two An-72 and one An-30 per Wikipedia’s table. | |
| Let L-410 TurboletIn service | Light transport | 8 | — | Eight, with four on order, per Wikipedia. | ||
| Tupolev Tu-154 and Tu-134In service | VIP and staff transport | 2 | — | One of each per Wikipedia. | ||
| Mil Mi-8 / Mi-17V-5 / Mi-171ShIn service | Transport helicopter | — | 1992 | — | About 30–36; Wikipedia’s table has overlapping rows (Mi-8 10; Mi-17 20 and 6). | |
| Mil Mi-24V and Mi-35MIn service | Attack helicopter | 32 | 1992 | — | About 20 Mi-24V and 12 Mi-35M per Wikipedia. | |
| Mil Mi-26In service | Heavy-lift helicopter | 4 | 1992 | — | Four per Wikipedia. | |
| Airbus Helicopters H145 (EC145)In service | Utility, rescue and medevac helicopter | — | 2011 | — | Uncertain: eight had gone to the Ministry of Defence by January 2017 out of 26 reassembled in Astana; Wikipedia’s table gives 20+ with more on order. The military H145M was not confirmed. | |
| Bell UH-1H IroquoisIn service | Utility helicopter | 4 | — | Four per Wikipedia. | ||
| Aero L-39 AlbatrosIn service | Jet trainer | 19 | 1992 | — | About 19 per Wikipedia. | |
| Zlin Z 242LIn service | Primary trainer | 2 | — | Two per Wikipedia. | ||
| CAIG Wing LoongIn service | Armed drone (MALE) | — | 2016 | — | 2–3: two exported in 2016 according to Jane’s, cited by Wikipedia; three in Wikipedia’s inventory table. | |
| TAI AnkaIn service | Armed drone (MALE) | — | 2023 | — | 3–4: three delivered under the 2022 deal per Wikipedia’s Anka article; four in its Kazakh inventory table. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A400M AtlasOn order | 1 | 2024 | Second of two ordered in September 2021; the first arrived in December 2024. A delivery date for the second was not published in the sources checked. | |
| TAI Anka (local production)On order | 30 | Co-manufacture of 30 in Kazakhstan under the 2022 agreement; how many have been built was not confirmed. | ||
| Let L-410 TurboletOn order | 4 | Four on order per Wikipedia; contract date not confirmed. | ||
| Sukhoi Su-30SM (further batch)On order | — | In August 2024 the Ministry of Defence’s half-year report said the choice had been made in favour of the Su-30SM, after earlier reports of interest in the Rafale.
MoreNo contract, quantity or delivery date was confirmed. |
Every type the Kazakh Air Defense Forces has retired
9 types, from the Mikoyan MiG-31 Foxhound to the Mikoyan MiG-31 Foxhound. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikoyan MiG-31 Foxhound | Interceptor | — | 1992–2023 | Su-30SM | About 50 retained after 1991, per Wikipedia; the number flying at retirement was not confirmed. | |
| Mikoyan MiG-29 / MiG-29UB | Fighter | — | 1992–2023 | Su-30SM | At least 12 MiG-29A and two MiG-29UB inherited, plus 22 ordered from Russia in 1995; about 23 believed active in 2023. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27 | Fighter-bomber | 12 | 1992–2023 | — | 12 in service until about 2023. | |
| Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer | Strike and reconnaissance | 13 | 1992–2023 | — | 13 per Wikipedia. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21bis | Fighter | — | 1992–1999 | — | Kazakh inventory size not confirmed; 30 said to have gone to North Korea (contested, see note). | |
| Tupolev Tu-95 Bear | Strategic bomber | — | 1992–1994 | — | Two regiments at Chagan; the number in 1992 was not confirmed. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23MLD | Fighter | — | 1992– | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25RB | Reconnaissance | — | 1992– | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| Yakovlev Yak-28R | Reconnaissance | — | 1992– | — | Number not confirmed. |
Where the Kazakh Air Defense Forces fly from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the airfields that have closed. Four jet bases remain on Wikipedia’s list; Usharal, Balkhash and Taraz are civil aerodromes with areas reserved for state aviation, and Semey, a Soviet MiG-31 base until 1992, is a civil airport. Chagan, the Soviet Tu-95 base near Semey, lost its bombers to Russia by 1994 and was abandoned in the 1990s; the current status of Lugovaya and Zhangiztobe was not confirmed. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BalkhashKaraganda Region | UAAH | Active | 04/222,503 mconcrete |
|
| KaragandaSary-ArkaKaraganda Region | UAKK | Active | 05/233,601 mreinforced concrete | |
| ShymkentShymkent (city of republican significance) | UAII | Active | 10/283,300 mreinforced concrete |
|
| TaldykorganJetisu Region (Zhetysu), since 2022; Almaty Region before | UAAT | Active | 02/203,000 mreinforced concrete |
|
| TarazZhambyl Region | UADD | Active | 13/313,500 mconcrete and asphalt |
|
| UsharalJetisu Region | UAAL | Active | 09/272,700 mconcrete |
|
| ZhetigenNikolayevkaAlmaty Region (the town was renamed Alatau in 2024) | Active | — |
|
|
| ChaganDolonAbai Region (near Semey) | Closed | — |
|
|
| LugovayaSouthern Kazakhstan (region not confirmed in the sources checked) | Closed | — |
|
|
| SemeySemipalatinskAbai Region | UASS | Closed | 08/263,099 mcement concrete |
|
| ZhangiztobeAbai Region (Zharma District; Semipalatinsk Oblast in Soviet times) | Closed | — |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Kazakh Air Defense Forces
Flying units by base, current units first. Kazakh air bases carry numbers in the 600s — the 600th Guards, 602nd, 604th and 610th — and the Soviet regiments Kazakhstan took over in 1992 are listed too, marked as Soviet. Where a base’s aircraft rest on Wikipedia or a 2015 directory alone, the entry says so.
- 604th Air BaseFighter air base · active
- Sukhoi Su-30SM (first four handed over here on 1 May 2015), Sukhoi Su-27 (a Su-27 squadron, per Kossanov’s biography), Mikoyan MiG-27 (to 2023)
- 129th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (Soviet)—
- Mikoyan MiG-27
- 905th Fighter Aviation Regiment (Soviet)—
- Mikoyan MiG-23MLD
- 610th Air BaseFighter and interceptor air base · active
- Sukhoi Su-30SM, Mikoyan MiG-31 (to 2023), Sukhoi Su-27 (listed 2015), Sukhoi Su-25 (listed 2015)
- 602nd Air BaseAir base · active
- Types not confirmed by an official source
- 600th Guards Air BaseAir base · active
- Types not confirmed by an official source
- 149th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment (Soviet)—
- Sukhoi Su-24
- 27th Guards Vyborg Red Banner Fighter Aviation Regiment (Soviet)—
- Mikoyan MiG-23, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
- Military unit 53898Military unit with helipad · active
- Helicopters (types not confirmed)
- 39th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (Soviet)—
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25RB, Yakovlev Yak-28R
- 157th Separate Transport and Combat Helicopter Regiment (Soviet)—
- Mil Mi-26 and Mi-6, Mil Mi-8
No unit matches that search.
Kazakh Air Defense Forces milestones, 1914 to today
The 6th Air Army is reformed in Alma-Ata for the Turkestan Military District; it becomes the 73rd Air Army on 10 January 1949.
Tu-95 bombers of the 79th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division begin flying from Chagan (Dolon), near Semipalatinsk.
The Central Asian Military District is recreated after the Sino-Soviet border clashes; the 73rd Air Army becomes its air arm.
7 May: President Nazarbayev’s decree creates the armed forces from Soviet units in Kazakhstan. The return of the Tu-95s to Russia begins; the last have left Chagan by 1994.
Kazakhstan orders 22 more MiG-29s from Russia; Su-27 deliveries follow in 1996–2001 (26 aircraft).
The air force and the air defence troops are merged into the Air Defence Forces (1 June per Wikipedia).
9 August: Defence Minister Mukhtar Altynbayev and security chief Nurtai Abykayev are dismissed over the transfer of MiG-21s to North Korea.
March: Altynbayev becomes commander of the Air Defence Forces. 6 July: a decree gives the armed forces a dual structure of general-purpose forces and air defence forces.
Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering begins reassembling EC145 helicopters in Astana.
20 August: an air show near Astana marks the service’s 15th anniversary. 24 October: a contract for two more C295s is signed.
23 September: a Su-27 crashes in Almaty region, killing Lt Cols Yerlan Nauanov and Denis Gorbunov.
1 May: the first four Su-30SMs are handed over at Taldykorgan. August: Russia gives five S-300PS missile systems free of charge.
August: Senior Lieutenant Ardana Botai becomes the first woman to command a Su-30SM crew. September: two A400Ms are ordered.
January: unrest in Almaty; CSTO troops are flown in and have left by 20 January.
MiG-31, MiG-29, MiG-27 and Su-24 retired; an auction of retired aircraft opens in October.
April: the Kyiv Post reports a US purchase of 81 retired aircraft, which Kazspetsexport denies. December: the first A400M is delivered.
8 June: Dauren Kossanov becomes defence minister. 15 July: Askar Izbassov becomes air force commander. 25 July: an H145 with three crew is lost over Lake Sorbulak.
25 February: a Su-30SM crashes near Karaganda and both pilots eject. 27 September: Kossanov is relieved after 14 deaths in a Caspian exercise.
Every war the Kazakh Air Defense Forces have fought
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- Soviet–Afghan War 1979–1989 The Soviet air armies in Central Asia supported the 40th Army in Afghanistan, which came under the Turkestan Military District
- January 2022 unrest and the CSTO deployment 2022 No combat role for Kazakh military aviation was documented in the sources checked; Russian transport aircraft flew in the CSTO contingent
Everything people ask about the Kazakh Air Defense Forces
What is the Kazakh Air Defense Forces called in Kazakh and Russian?
What aircraft does the Kazakh Air Defense Forces fly?
When was the Kazakh Air Defense Forces founded?
Did Kazakhstan sell MiG-21s to North Korea?
Did Kazakhstan sell MiG-29s to the United States?
What happened to the Soviet bombers in Kazakhstan?
How many Su-30SM fighters does Kazakhstan have?
Does Kazakhstan fly the Airbus A400M?
Did the Kazakh air force take part in the January 2022 unrest?
Who commands the Kazakh Air Defense Forces?
Read the aircraft the Kazakh Air Defense Forces flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- US Department of Defense (American Forces Press Service): U.S. Buys Moldovan MiG-29 Fighters (November 1997)The United States bought 21 MiG-29s from Moldova, announced by William Cohen on 4 November 1997; Kazakhstan appears only as an earlier Nunn-Lugar partner.
- The Astana Times: Kazakhstan Takes Delivery of Four Su-30SM Fighter Planes (1 May 2015)Four Su-30SM from Irkut handed over at Taldykorgan; Major General Nurlan Ormanbetov quoted; MiG-27, Su-25, MiG-31, Su-27 and MiG-29 then in the fleet.
- The Astana Times: Kazakhstan Takes Delivery of Sukhoi Su-30SM Jet Fighters (18 January 2017)A further batch delivered; 18 months of aircrew training.
- The Astana Times: Kazakhstan Orders Two Airbus Aircraft, Delivery Scheduled for 2024 (2 September 2021)Two A400Ms, first due 2024; maintenance centre; Kazakhstan the ninth A400M operator.
- The Astana Times: Ministry of Defence Concludes Contract for Two More C295 Aircraft (30 October 2013)Contract of 24 October 2013; up to eight under a 2012 memorandum; first C295 sale in the CIS; An-12BP, An-24, An-26, An-72 and An-2 in service.
- The Astana Times: Airbus Sees Kazakhstan as Strategic Market as Aviation and Defense Ties Expand (23 April 2026)One A400M delivered December 2024, used for peacekeeping (Golan Heights) and humanitarian flights (Afghanistan); 12 C295s; about 60 Airbus helicopters in Kazakhstan.
- The Astana Times: Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering Upbeat on Future Prospects (24 January 2017)50-50 joint venture of 2011 in Astana; 26 EC145s reassembled, eight for the Ministry of Defence.
- The Astana Times: Kazakhstan, Russia to manufacture Mi helicopters in Almaty (3 September 2019)Agreement at MAKS-2019 for Mi-8AMT/Mi-171 assembly at Almaty Aircraft Repair Plant No. 405 from 2020.
- The Astana Times: Kazakhstan Plans to Increase Military Production and Upgrade Armed Forces (10 February 2022)Mi-171Sh assembly at ARZ 405; procurement plans revised after the January events.
- The Astana Times: Kazakh Armed Forces Prepare Troops for New Potential Threats (29 December 2022)110 units of equipment bought in 2022, including fourth-generation fighters, attack and transport helicopters, transport and training aircraft.
- The Astana Times: Kazakh President Outlines Defense Sector Priorities (6 May 2023)Average 60 per cent pay rise for military pilots; more drones and military transport aviation.
- The Astana Times: Kazakh Defense Minister Briefs President Tokayev (27 July 2023)Minister Ruslan Zhaksylykov; Anka trial operation from August 2023 to mid-March 2024.
- The Astana Times: Kazakh President Announces New Initiatives to Address Current Crisis (12 January 2022)Tokayev: country in danger of ceding control of Almaty; phased CSTO withdrawal within ten days.
- The Astana Times: New Anti-Aircraft Missile Systems to Boost Kazakhstan’s Air Defences (20 August 2015)Five S-300PS transferred free by Russia’s MoD; Major General Nurzhan Mukanov, Commander of Air Defence Forces, quoted.
- The Astana Times: First Women Fighter Pilot in Kazakhstan Becomes Crew Commander (5 August 2021)Senior Lieutenant Ardana Botai, Su-30SM crew commander at the Karaganda air base.
- The Astana Times: Military Parade in Astana Marks 80th Anniversary of Great Victory (7 May 2025)66 aircraft over Astana, including Su-30SM, Su-25 and the A400M.
- The Astana Times: Nine Servicemen Die in Incident During Caspian Sea Military Exercise (24 September 2026)Khazar Korgany-2026; Air Defence Forces aviation in the search; Defence Minister Lt Gen of Aviation Dauren Kossanov heads the MoD commission.
- The Astana Times: Kazakhstan Appoints Myrzakhmetov as Defense Minister (27 September 2026)Aidos Myrzakhmetov, Special Operations Forces commander since January 2024, appointed; Kossanov relieved.
- The Astana Times: Tokayev Orders Radical Military Reform (28 September 2026)14 dead in the 24 September exercise; Military Reform Plan within ten days.
- Tengrinews: Air show timed to 15th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s Air Defense Forces held near Astana (20 August 2013)15th anniversary in 2013; Major General Nurlan Ormanbetov C-in-C; two Airbus Military transports bought that year, eight planned; MiG-31, MiG-29, Su-25, Su-27, Mi-24, Mi-8, Mi-17V-5, Mi-26 shown.
- Tengrinews: Military aircraft crashes in Kazakhstan (26 September 2014)Su-27 crash of 23 September 2014 in Almaty region, two pilots killed; Su-27 flights suspended across 25 aircraft.
- Tengrinews: Russia to supply Su-30 Flankers to Kazakhstan (17 April 2015)Four Su-30SM; Irkut’s Viktor Lichaev quoted; more planned.
- Tengrinews: Military helicopter disappears from radar in Kazakhstan (25 July 2025)Air Defence Forces H145 with three crew lost in Almaty region on 25 July 2025; H145 in service since 2011, assembled in Astana.
- Tengrinews: Debris of missing military helicopter found in Sorbulak Lake (30 July 2025)Wreckage found 26 July; Air Force Commander Askar Izbassov briefs the minister; crew still missing on 30 July.
- Tengrinews: Abuse of power: new details emerge in case of missing helicopter in Sorbulak (12 August 2025)Main Military Prosecutor’s Office investigation under articles 464 and 451 of the Criminal Code.
- Tengrinews: Su-30SM fighter jet crashes near Karaganda (25 February 2026)Crash 2 km from Sary-Arka airport; both pilots ejected; MoD statement.
- Tengrinews: Military drone crashed in southern Kazakhstan (2 June 2026)Air Defence Forces UAV emergency landing in Talas district, Zhambyl region; MoD statement.
- The Times of Central Asia: Drones, Armored Vehicles, and Planes: Kazakhstan Announces Large-Scale Rearmament (7 August 2024)MoD half-year report: choice made in favour of the Su-30SM after reports of Rafale interest; first A400M expected; Anka in trial operation.
- The Times of Central Asia: Uzbekistan’s Reported Chinese Jet Deal in a Changing Arms Market (25 August 2026)SIPRI 2021–2025: Russia 83 per cent of Kazakh major-arms imports, Spain 7.9, France 3.6; Anka production agreement.
- ANS of Kazakhstan (Kazaeronavigatsia): electronic AIP indexIndex of current AIRAC editions; AMDT 009/2026 effective 3 September 2026 used throughout.
- Kazakhstan AIP, AIRAC AMDT 009/2026 (effective 3 September 2026), AD 2 UAKK KaragandaReference point 494018N 0732007E, elevation 1,766 ft, runway 05/23 3,601 x 60 m reinforced concrete; operator JSC Sary-Arka International Airport; a military unit is named in connection with a fuel station.
- Kazakhstan AIP, AIRAC AMDT 009/2026 (effective 3 September 2026), AD 2 UAAT TaldykorganReference point 450721N 0782634E, elevation 1,944 ft, runway 02/20 3,000 x 50 m reinforced concrete; operator JSC Zhetysu Aircompany. The AD 2 page does not describe the military side of the airfield.
- Kazakhstan AIP, AIRAC AMDT 009/2026 (effective 3 September 2026), AD 2 UAII ShymkentReference point 422154N 0692832E, elevation 1,387 ft, runway 10/28 3,300 x 45 m reinforced concrete; operator JSC Shymkent Airport; military unit No. 55652 named in the disabled-aircraft removal procedure.
- Kazakhstan AIP, AIRAC AMDT 009/2026 (effective 3 September 2026), AD 2 UASS SemeyReference point 502106N 0801402E, elevation 759 ft, runway 08/26 3,099 x 45 m; TWY 2 designated for state aviation aircraft.
- Kazakhstan AIP, AIRAC AMDT 009/2026 (effective 3 September 2026), AD 2 UAAH BalkhashReference point 465339N 0750016E, elevation 1,447 ft, runway 04/22 2,503 x 42 m concrete; “joint aerodrome with state aviation”; helipad of military unit 53898.
- Kazakhstan AIP, AIRAC AMDT 009/2026 (effective 3 September 2026), AD 2 UADD TarazReference point 425116N 0711808E, elevation 2,190 ft, runway 13/31 3,500 x 45 m; taxiways C, D, E, F and part of the main taxiway under the Ministry of Defence, state aircraft only.
- Kazakhstan AIP, AIRAC AMDT 009/2026 (effective 3 September 2026), AD 2 UAAL UsharalReference point 461127N 0804947E, elevation 1,295 ft, runway 09/27 2,700 x 45 m concrete; TWY 2 and 4 used only by state aviation.
Figures verified 2026-09-30. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
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