Tajik Air Force
The Tajik Air Force, formally the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of Tajikistan, was created in 1994 in the middle of a civil war with a handful of Russian-supplied helicopters, has never flown combat jets of its own, and relies on Russia’s 201st Military Base and the CIS air defence network for most of its air cover — while the best runway in the country, at Ayni, was rebuilt with Indian money and then lost to India in 2025.
The Tajik Air Force story: born in a civil war, a helicopter arm under a Russian umbrella and the runway India rebuilt
1992–1997: an air arm born in a civil war
Tajikistan inherited almost nothing that flew. When the Soviet Union broke up, the air forces of the Turkestan Military District, redesignated the 49th Air Army in 1988, were divided among the Central Asian republics, and the district itself was dissolved on 30 June 1992. What Tajikistan kept on its own soil was chiefly air defence: the 536th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment at Dushanbe, which had moved from S-75 to S-125 missiles in the 1980s, passed to Tajikistan in 1992. By then the country was at war with itself. The civil war began on 5 May 1992 and lasted until the peace accord of 27 June 1997; estimates of the dead run from 20,000 to 150,000, a range reported by Radio Free Europe. The government side leaned on Russia’s 201st Motor Rifle Division and on Uzbekistan, whose air force, according to Wikipedia’s account, flew MiG-29s, Su-17s, Su-24s, Su-25s and Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters for the government between September 1992 and May 1993 and lost one Su-24, two Mi-8s and one Mi-24.
1997–2010: helicopters, trainers and a Russian umbrella
Tajikistan’s own armed forces date from a resolution of 18 December 1992 and a parade of Popular Front fighters in Dushanbe on 23 February 1993. Wikipedia’s account of them says the first air equipment, ten Mi-8MTV and five Mi-24 helicopters, arrived in 1993, and that An-24 and An-26 transports followed in 1996; the air force and the air defence forces were formally created in 1994 and merged in 2005. It was a helicopter arm from the start, and it has stayed one. In 2007 it had about 800 people and a dozen or so helicopters, and in 2006–2007 Russia supplied six more Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters and four L-39 jet trainers. Russia’s own air force watched Tajik airspace through the CIS Joint Air Defence System. Wikipedia’s summary puts the relationship bluntly: Moscow judged that its own forces gave Tajikistan adequate security and did not favour a more capable Tajik air force.
Ayni: the runway India rebuilt, and then left
The best military runway in the country was not built for the Tajik Air Force at all. Ayni, also called Gissar, about 20–25 km west of Dushanbe near Hisor, had decayed after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. India began rebuilding it around 2002, under a bilateral agreement pushed by Defence Minister George Fernandes; ThePrint says about US$100 million was spent, other sources US$70 million. The runway was lengthened to 3,200 metres, hangars and fuel storage were built, and the Tajik defence ministry declared the work complete in September 2010, saying the base was for Tajikistan’s own air force and air defence. Indian officers, among them the future Air Chief Marshal B. S. Dhanoa, commanded there, and Indian C-17s and C-130Js staged through it during the Afghan evacuation of August 2021. In late October 2025 it was reported that India had left: the aerodrome agreement had lapsed in 2021 or 2022 (sources differ) and Tajikistan did not renew it. Commentators in India attributed that to Russian and Chinese pressure; neither government has said so on the record in the sources checked.
2010–2022: insurgency, border wars and the Afghan pilots
Inside the country the helicopters flew in every crisis. During the Rasht Valley campaign of 2010, a military Mi-8 crashed on 6 or 7 October 2010 with 28 servicemen aboard and no survivors; Wikipedia records the official explanation that it hit power lines while landing. In the Khorog operation of July 2012 the army used several combat helicopters. On the Kyrgyz border the fighting of 28 April–1 May 2021 killed at least 55 people; a Carnegie Moscow Center commentary cited by Wikipedia said Tajik Mi-24s fired S-5 unguided rockets, which Tajikistan did not confirm. In the heavier clashes of 14–20 September 2022, Human Rights Watch reported that each side accused the other of using Grad rockets and Bayraktar armed drones against populated areas. In between, in August 2021, Afghan Air Force aircraft and about 150 Afghan personnel landed at Bokhtar as the Taliban took Kabul; 191 Afghans, 143 of them pilots, were flown to the United Arab Emirates on 9 November 2021.
2022–2026: drones, a new commander and what is still missing
Since 2022 the service has changed more in its drones than in its aircraft. Turkey reportedly sold Tajikistan the Bayraktar TB2 in April 2022, and on 17 May 2022 Iran’s chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri opened a factory for the Ababil-2 drone in Dushanbe, Iran’s first abroad, according to the Middle East Institute. Neither the number of TB2s delivered nor the Ababil-2 output has been published in the sources checked. On 28 February 2024 Shamsiddin Sobirzoda was appointed commander, and in January 2025 a new defence minister took over. The border dispute with Kyrgyzstan, the reason for the fighting of 2021 and 2022, was settled by agreement in February and March 2025. The core of the air force is still what Russia gave it two decades ago: roughly 14 Mi-8s, six Mi-24s, four L-39s and a couple of transports in published lists. Russia’s 201st Military Base, extended to 2042, keeps its own Su-25s and helicopters in the country, and remains Tajikistan’s real air power.
The Tajik Air Force in numbers
Dienst
- Inheemse naam
- Қувваҳои ҳавоӣ ва мудофиаи ТоҷикистонTajik form given by English Wikipedia (romanised Quvvahoi Havoī va Mudofiai Tojikiston); in Russian Военно-воздушные силы и противовоздушная оборона Таджикистана. The defence ministry’s own sites could not be reached to confirm the official spelling
- Opgericht
- 1994Created with the national army in 1994; the armed forces date themselves to the Popular Front parade of 23 February 1993. The air force and air defence forces were merged in 2005
- Onderdeel van
- Armed Forces of the Republic of TajikistanUnder the Ministry of Defence, alongside the ground forces and mobile forces
- Hoofdkwartier
- DushanbePer Wikipedia; no official address was confirmed
- Commandant
- Shamsiddin SobirzodaAppointed on or shortly before 28 February 2024 (Radio Azattyk); rank not confirmed
- Minister van Defensie
- Col. Gen. Emomali SobirzodaSince 23 January 2025, succeeding Col. Gen. Sherali Mirzo (2013–2025)
Kracht
- Personeel
- About 800 (2007)The only figure found; no current official number was published in the sources checked
- Helikopters
-
- Mi-8 — about 14
- Mi-24 — about 6
Counts from Wikipedia’s inventory table (FlightGlobal-based); the Mi-24 article cites World Air Forces 2022 for six Mi-25/Mi-35-standard aircraft. Wikipedia’s lead speaks of about 20 helicopters in all
- Trainers
-
- L-39 Albatros — 4
Supplied by Russia in 2006–2007; the only jets the service has flown
- Vervoer
-
- An-26 — 1
- Tu-134AK (VIP) — 1
Per Wikipedia’s inventory table; An-24s and An-26s were first delivered in 1996
- Gevechtsvliegtuigen
- GeenTajikistan has never operated fighters or attack jets of its own. The Su-25s in the country belong to Russia’s 201st Military Base (five, per Wikipedia)
- Drones
- TB2 reported; Ababil-2 factoryTurkey reportedly sold the TB2 in April 2022; Iran opened an Ababil-2 plant in Dushanbe on 17 May 2022. Numbers not published
- Grondgebonden luchtverdediging
- S-125 inherited; CIS joint systemThe 536th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment at Dushanbe (S-125M1) passed to Tajikistan in 1992. Russia monitors Tajik airspace through the CIS Joint Air Defence System; Russia’s base received S-300PS in 2019
Infrastructuur
- Airfields used
-
- Dushanbe (UTDD) — joint civil-military, 3,100–3,112 m runway
- Ayni (Gissar) — rebuilt by India, 3,200 m runway
- Bokhtar (UTDT)
- Khujand
Wikipedia names Ayni, Dushanbe, Bokhtar and Khujand as operating locations; Dushanbe International is a joint civil and military airport
- Ayni
- Indian presence ended 2025Rebuilt with Indian funds 2002–2010 (US$70–100 million by different accounts); India’s withdrawal was reported as complete in October 2025
- Afghan aircraft, 2021
- Landed at BokhtarAs Kabul fell in August 2021, Afghan Air Force aircraft landed at Bokhtar (Wikipedia: two planes with more than 100 soldiers; The War Zone: about 150 personnel). 191 Afghans, 143 of them pilots, were flown to the UAE on 9 November 2021. The Taliban demanded the aircraft back; their fate in Tajikistan was not confirmed
- Russian forces
- 201st Military Base6,000–7,000 personnel in Dushanbe, Kulob and Bokhtar; the 670th Air Group with five Su-25s and a helicopter squadron (four Mi-24, four Mi-8), per Wikipedia. Agreement extended to 2042 in October 2012
- Foreign air detachments
- France 2002–2013French forces used Dushanbe airport as an air base for operations in Afghanistan from January 2002 to 2013; three Rafales deployed there in March 2007
How the Tajik Air Force is organised
The Air Force and Air Defence Forces, created in 1994 and merged in 2005, with headquarters in Dushanbe per Wikipedia. Tajikistan has never operated combat jets of its own: its flying force is a helicopter squadron of about 14 Mi-8s and six Mi-24s, with four L-39 trainers and two transports in published lists. Russia’s 201st Military Base keeps five Su-25s and a helicopter squadron in the country, per Wikipedia, and Russia monitors Tajik airspace through the CIS Joint Air Defence System.
Air Force and Air Defence Forces
In Dushanbe per Wikipedia, under the Ministry of Defence; the air force and the air defence forces were created in 1994 and merged in 2005. Radio Azattyk reported on 28 February 2024 that Shamsiddin Sobirzoda had been appointed commander; his rank was not confirmed.
Independent Helicopter Squadron
The service’s only flying unit per Wikipedia, with about 14 Mi-8s and six Mi-24s in published lists, supplied by Russia between 1993 and 2007. Wikipedia places it at Ayni and lists Dushanbe, Bokhtar and Khujand as operating locations; how the helicopters are split between them has not been published.
536th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
The Soviet regiment at Dushanbe, on the S-125M1 since the 1980s, which passed to Tajikistan in 1992. Russia monitors Tajik airspace through the CIS Joint Air Defence System.
201st Military Base (Russia)
Russian, not Tajik: 6,000–7,000 personnel in Dushanbe, Kulob and Bokhtar, with a 670th Air Group of five Su-25s and a helicopter squadron of four Mi-24s and four Mi-8s, per Wikipedia. The agreement was extended to 2042 in October 2012.
What the Tajik Air Force flies today
Elk type is gekoppeld aan de bijbehorende pagina in het Boek der Beesten, indien aanwezig. Het aantal vliegtuigen betreft de geregistreerde vliegtuigen, niet de vliegtuigen die op een bepaalde dag beschikbaar zijn.
| Type | Rol | In dienst | Sinds | Eenheden | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mil Mi-8 / Mi-8MTV (Mi-17)In dienst | Transporthelikopter | 14 | 1993 | — | About 14 in Wikipedia’s inventory table (FlightGlobal-based); not confirmed from an official source. | |
| Mil Mi-24 (Mi-25/Mi-35 standard)In dienst | Aanvalshelikopter | 6 | 1993 | — | Six per World Air Forces 2022 as cited by Wikipedia. | |
| Aero L-39 AlbatrosIn dienst | Straaltrainer | 4 | 2006 | — | Four supplied by Russia; current serviceability not known. | |
| Antonov An-26In dienst | Tactisch transport | 1 | 1996 | — | One in Wikipedia’s inventory table. | |
| Tupolev Tu-134AKIn dienst | VIP-vervoer | 1 | — | One in Wikipedia’s inventory table; whether it is still flying was not confirmed. |
Op bestelling
| Type | Besteld | Eerste levering | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baykar Bayraktar TB2Op bestelling | — | Turkey reportedly sold the TB2 to Tajikistan in April 2022 (Middle East Institute).
MeerNo quantity, delivery or operator (air force or another agency) was confirmed, and Wikipedia’s operator list does not include Tajikistan. In September 2022 each side in the Kyrgyz–Tajik clashes accused the other of using Bayraktar drones (Human Rights Watch). |
||
| HESA Ababil-2 (local assembly)Op bestelling | — | 2022 | Iran opened a factory for the Ababil-2 in Dushanbe on 17 May 2022, its first drone plant abroad; the MEI describes the type as a reconnaissance, combat and loitering drone.
MeerOutput and service use by the Tajik forces were not published. |
Every type the Tajik Air Force has retired
1 types, from the Antonov An-24 to the Antonov An-24. De piekcijfers hebben betrekking op het aantal vliegtuigen dat gedurende de gehele levensduur in gebruik is genomen, niet op de vlootsterkte op een bepaalde datum.
| Type | Rol | Piek | Geserveerd | Vervangen door | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antonov An-24 | Vervoer | — | 1996– | — | Aantal niet gepubliceerd. |
Where the Tajik Air Force flies from
Zwarte pinnen geven actieve bases aan, holle pinnen de vliegvelden die gesloten zijn. Ayni, rebuilt by India from 2002 with a 3,200-metre runway, is the helicopter squadron’s base per Wikipedia; India’s withdrawal was reported complete in October 2025. Dushanbe, Bokhtar and Khujand are civil airports the helicopters also use, Wikipedia lists Kulob among the service’s airfields, and at Farkhor, controlled by the Tajik Air Force per Wikipedia, there has been no evidence of an Indian Air Force presence since at least 2015.
| Baseren | ICAO | Status | Startbaan | Eenheden en vliegtuigen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AyniDistricts of Republican Subordination (Hisor District) | Actief | — |
|
|
| Bokhtar AirportKhatlon Region | UTDT | Actief | 17/352,285 m |
|
| Dushanbe International AirportDushanbe | UTDD | Actief | 09/273,112 masphalt-concrete |
|
| FarkhorKhatlon Region | Actief | — |
|
|
| Khujand AirportSughd Region | UTDL | Actief | 08/263200 m |
|
| Kulob AirportKhatlon Region | UTDK | Actief | 01/193.000 m | — |
Geen enkele luchtmachtbasis voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Who is stationed where in the Tajik Air Force
Vliegende eenheden per basis, met de huidige eenheden eerst. The Tajik Air Force has one flying unit, the Independent Helicopter Squadron, listed at each airfield Wikipedia gives as an operating location; how its helicopters are split between them has not been published. Indian, French and Afghan detachments are listed and marked as not Tajik.
- Independent Helicopter Squadron, Tajik Air ForceHelikoptereskader · actief
- Mi-8 / Mi-8MTV (Mi-17), Mi-24 (Mi-25/Mi-35 standard)
- Indian Air Force detachment, Gissar Military Aerodrome2002–2025
- Su-30MKI (temporary deployment, per ThePrint), C-130J Super Hercules (August 2021 evacuation), C-17 Globemaster III (August 2021 evacuation)
- Independent Helicopter Squadron, Tajik Air ForceHelikoptereskader · actief
- Mi-8 / Mi-8MTV (Mi-17), Mi-24 (Mi-25/Mi-35 standard)
- French air detachment, Dushanbe2002–2013
- Dassault Rafale (three, 2007), Transport and support aircraft (types UNVERIFIED)
- Independent Helicopter Squadron, Tajik Air ForceHelikoptereskader · actief
- Mi-8 / Mi-8MTV (Mi-17), Mi-24 (Mi-25/Mi-35 standard)
- Afghan Air Force aircraft and personnel (August–November 2021)2021–2021
- Two Afghan military aircraft (types not confirmed)
- Independent Helicopter Squadron, Tajik Air ForceHelikoptereskader · actief
- Mi-8 / Mi-8MTV (Mi-17), Mi-24 (Mi-25/Mi-35 standard)
- Indian military presence at Farkhor2002–
- No confirmed based aircraft
Geen enkel apparaat voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Tajik Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
The Soviet 536th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment is formed at Dushanbe with S-75 missiles; it converts to the S-125M1 in the 1980s.
The air forces of the Turkestan Military District, which covers Tajikistan, are redesignated the 49th Air Army.
5 May: civil war begins. 30 June: the Turkestan Military District is dissolved; the 536th regiment passes to Tajikistan. From September the Uzbek Air Force flies for the government side (per Wikipedia). 18 December: resolution establishing the armed forces.
23 February: Popular Front parade in Dushanbe, since counted as the armed forces’ day. The first ten Mi-8MTVs and five Mi-24s arrive.
The Air Force and the Air Defence Forces are formally created with the national army.
An-24 and An-26 transports are delivered.
27 June: the peace accord ends the civil war.
India begins rebuilding Ayni (Gissar) air base; in January French forces start using Dushanbe airport as an air base for Afghanistan.
October: the Russian 201st Motor Rifle Division becomes the 201st Military Base.
The Air Force and the Air Defence Forces are merged.
Russia completes delivery of six Mi-8/Mi-24 helicopters and four L-39s (2006–2007). 12 March: three French Rafales deploy to Dushanbe.
9 September: the Tajik defence ministry announces Ayni complete, with a 3,200 m runway. 6 or 7 October: a military Mi-8 crashes in the Rasht Valley; 28 killed.
July: helicopters support the Khorog operation. October: Russia’s base agreement extended to 2042.
28 April–1 May: border fighting with Kyrgyzstan. August: Afghan Air Force aircraft and about 150 personnel land at Bokhtar; 191 Afghans are flown to the UAE on 9 November.
April: Turkey reportedly sells the TB2. 17 May: Iran opens an Ababil-2 drone factory in Dushanbe. 14–20 September: the worst Kyrgyz–Tajik fighting so far.
28 February: Shamsiddin Sobirzoda reported appointed commander of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces.
23 January: Col. Gen. Emomali Sobirzoda becomes defence minister. February–March: border settlement with Kyrgyzstan. October: India’s withdrawal from Ayni reported complete.
Every war the Tajik Air Force has fought
Uitvallen en verliezen waar de gegevens die vermelden, en een eerlijke blanco waar die ontbreken.
- Tajikistani Civil War 1992–1997 The new air arm flew the helicopters delivered from 1993 for the government; most air power on the government side was Russian and Uzbek
- Rasht Valley campaign and Khorog operation 2010–2012 Helicopter transport and fire support for ground operations against armed groups
- Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border clashes of 2021 2021 A Carnegie Moscow Center commentary cited by Wikipedia said Tajik Mi-24s fired S-5 unguided rockets; not confirmed by Tajikistan
- Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border clashes of 2022 2022 Each side accused the other of using Bayraktar armed drones; the role of Tajik manned aircraft was not documented in the sources checked
Everything people ask about the Tajik Air Force
Does Tajikistan have fighter jets?
What does the Tajik Air Force fly?
What is the Tajik Air Force called in Tajik?
When was the Tajik Air Force founded?
Did aircraft fight in the Tajik civil war?
Why did India build an air base in Tajikistan?
Are Russian military aircraft based in Tajikistan?
What happened to the Afghan aircraft that flew to Tajikistan in 2021?
Did Tajikistan use aircraft or drones against Kyrgyzstan?
Who commands the Tajik Air Force?
Read the aircraft the Tajik Air Force flew
Elk type met een pagina in het Boek der Dieren, eerst op basis van de periode dat het in dienst was, daarna op basis van het jaar waarin het de vloot verliet.
Alle feiten gecontroleerd
- Radio Azattyk (RFE/RL): Rahmon replaces several deputy defence ministers and service commanders (28 February 2024)Shamsiddin Sobirzoda appointed commander of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces; the authorities gave no reasons. Original URL rus.azathabar.com/a/32840978.html redirects here.
- ThePrint: Gissar Military Aerodrome — India’s first overseas base that came to the rescue in Afghan crisis (Snehesh Alex Philip, 23 August 2021)Project begun 2001–2002 under George Fernandes; about US$100 million; 3,200 m runway; C-17 and C-130J staging in August 2021; a C-130J carried 87 Indians from Kabul to Tajikistan.
- ThePrint: India’s exit from Ayni airbase reveals New Delhi’s power projection limits (Swasti Rao, 31 October 2025)Opinion. Withdrawal concluded October 2025; says Tajikistan declined renewal in 2021 under Russian and Chinese pressure; about US$70 million invested.
- RFE/RL: Tajik Military Air Base Completed With Indian Help (9 September 2010)India contributed US$70 million; runway 3,200 m; 25 km from Dushanbe near Hisor; defence ministry spokesman Faridun Muhammadaliev: no agreement with any country on its use; intended for Tajik air force and air defence.
- ww2.dk: 536th Anti-Aircraft Missile RegimentDushanbe, 1960–1992; 15th Air Defence Division; S-75 then S-125M1; transferred to Tajikistan in 1992.
- Human Rights Watch: Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan Border Clashes Prove Deadly for Civilians (21 September 2022)Over 100 dead, at least 37 civilians; nearly 137,000 evacuated; both sides accused each other of using Grad rockets and Bayraktar armed drones; April 2021 fighting killed over 50 and displaced about 58,000.
- The War Zone: Afghan pilots that fled to Tajikistan are finally about to leave with U.S. help (Joseph Trevithick, 9 November 2021)About 150 Afghan personnel held at a sanatorium with documents confiscated; no aircraft count for Tajikistan.
- The Diplomat: Afghan pilots held in Tajikistan finally out (November 2021)191 Afghans, 143 of them pilots, flown to the UAE on 9 November after landing at Bokhtar in mid-August; US and Tajik officials blamed each other for delays.
- Middle East Institute: Iran’s drone factory in Tajikistan (Eric Lob, 3 June 2022)Ababil-2 factory inaugurated in Dushanbe on 17 May 2022 by Mohammad Bagheri; in April 2022 Turkey reportedly sold the TB2 to Tajikistan, which concerned Kyrgyzstan.
- Drishti IAS: India Withdraws from Ayni Airbase (October/November 2025)Indian exam-preparation summary, used only for attributed claims: agreement expiry 2022; withdrawal October 2025; Mi-17 helicopters, no permanent fighters; links the exit to the collapse of the Northern Alliance and the Taliban takeover.
- The Tribune (India): India to base planes in Tajikistan (15 November 2003)Agreement during Vajpayee’s visit for Indian army and air force personnel at Farkhor; engineers strengthening runway and aircraft pens; comment by Air Marshal (retd) Vinod Patney.
- OurAirports: Gissar Air Base (TJ-UT45)Community database; position 38.5123, 68.6725; elevation 2,379 ft; military; record updated 2 January 2012.
- OurAirports: Farkhor Air Base (TJ-UT46)Community database; position 37.4698, 69.3808; alternative name Parkhar South; record updated 22 November 2009.
- OurAirports: Airports in TajikistanList of 21 facilities, distinguishing Gissar Air Base (TJ-UT45) from a separate Ayni Airport (TJ-0003) in Sughd Region.
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.
Photographs: Photo: George Chernilevsky / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Articseahorse / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Alexander Kopitar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Elekes Andor / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)