Every war the Tajik Air Force has fought
Tajikistan’s air arm was born during the civil war between the government and the United Tajik Opposition, in which most air power on the government side was Russian and Uzbek. In the border fighting with Kyrgyzstan each government blamed the other; the reported use of Tajik Mi-24s in 2021 rests on one commentary citing video and was not confirmed by Tajikistan, and casualty figures are given as each side’s claim. Where a consolidated sortie or loss figure exists in the official record it is given here; where accounts disagree, the range is shown and the disagreement named. Blank cells are blank because no figure could be verified, not because the fighting was small.
From the civil war of 1992–1997 to the border fighting with Kyrgyzstan in 2021 and 2022.
| Conflict | Jaren | Tegen | Hoofdvliegtuig | Uitvallen | Vliegtuig verloren | |
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| Tajikistani Civil Warthe war of 1992–1997Tajik government forces (air arm formed from 1993–1994), with Russian and Uzbek air support | 1992–1997 | United Tajik Opposition | Mi-8MTV, Mi-24, An-24/An-26 (from 1996) | — | — | |
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The new air arm flew the helicopters delivered from 1993 for the government; most air power on the government side was Russian and Uzbek. The war began on 5 May 1992 between a government that drew on the Kulob and Khujand regions and an opposition alliance of the Islamic Renaissance Party, democratic groups and regional forces from Garm and Gorno-Badakhshan, later the United Tajik Opposition. Tajikistan had no air force when it started. The government’s side was held together by Russia’s 201st Motor Rifle Division and border troops and by Uzbekistan; Wikipedia’s article on the Uzbek air force says its helicopter regiments at Chirchiq and Kogon and fighter-bomber regiments at Dzhizak and Kakaydy flew MiG-29s, Su-17Ms, Su-24s, Su-25s, Mi-8s and Mi-24s for the government from September 1992 to May 1993. Tajikistan’s own first helicopters, ten Mi-8MTVs and five Mi-24s, arrived in 1993, and transports followed in 1996. A UN observer mission (UNMOT) arrived in December 1994; four of its personnel were killed. About 1.2 million people were displaced inside and outside the country. The war ended with the accord of 27 June 1997. Resultaat Peace accord of 27 June 1997; opposition units integrated into the state forces. No detailed record of Tajik air operations in the war was found; the Uzbek figures come from Wikipedia and were not checked against an Uzbek or Tajik official source. The death toll is a range reported by RFE/RL, not an official count.
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| Rasht Valley campaign and Khorog operation2010–2012 internal security operationsTajik security forces, with military helicopters | 2010–2012 | Armed groups in the Rasht Valley (2010–2011) and Forces of Tolib Ayombekov at Khorog (2012) | Mi-8, Mi-24 | — | 1 | |
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Helicopter transport and fire support for ground operations against armed groups. On 19 September 2010 a 75-man army convoy searching for escaped prisoners was ambushed in the Rasht Valley, about 250 km east of Dushanbe; more than 25 soldiers were killed. In the weeks that followed, helicopters carried troops into the valley, and the Mi-8 crash of October 2010 was the heaviest single loss of the campaign. In July 2012 more than 800 soldiers and several combat helicopters were sent to Khorog after the killing of a security official; the army reported more than 20 soldiers killed and claimed more than 30 insurgents and 30 civilians dead. Resultaat The Rasht campaign ended in 2011; Ayombekov surrendered in August 2012. The crash date is given as 6 October in Wikipedia’s Mi-8 article and 7 October in its insurgency article; the reference cited for the crash could not be checked. Casualty figures for Khorog are the military’s own.
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| Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border clashes of 2021the Vorukh fightingTajik Armed Forces (air arm’s role alleged) | 2021 | Kyrgyzstan | Mi-24 (alleged) | — | — | |
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A Carnegie Moscow Center commentary cited by Wikipedia said Tajik Mi-24s fired S-5 unguided rockets; not confirmed by Tajikistan. The fighting of 28 April–1 May 2021 grew out of a dispute over water and border posts near the Tajik enclave of Vorukh. Each government blamed the other. It was the first time the Tajik helicopter force was reported in action against a neighbour: Wikipedia quotes a Carnegie Moscow Center commentary of 4 May 2021 saying video showed Mi-24s dropping S-5 unguided rockets. Tajikistan did not publish any account of its helicopters’ role. Resultaat Ceasefire from 1 May 2021; a further incident on 9 July 2021. The Mi-24 claim rests on one analytical commentary citing videos; the original commentary could no longer be retrieved and is cited through Wikipedia.
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| Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border clashes of 2022the September war on the Batken borderTajik Armed Forces | 2022 | Kyrgyzstan | Bayraktar TB2 (alleged by Kyrgyzstan) | — | — | |
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Each side accused the other of using Bayraktar armed drones; the role of Tajik manned aircraft was not documented in the sources checked. After smaller incidents in January, March and June 2022, fighting broke out along the border on 14 September and lasted until 20 September. Both governments blamed the other for starting it. Human Rights Watch said each side accused the other of using Grad rockets and Bayraktar armed drones against populated areas. Tajikistan said a Kyrgyz TB2 strike on a mosque killed 15 civilians; Kyrgyzstan accused Tajikistan of using heavy weapons against villages such as Ak-Sai. Kyrgyzstan is a confirmed TB2 operator (through its border service); Tajikistan’s own TB2 purchase in April 2022 was reported by the Middle East Institute but its use in the fighting was not confirmed. Resultaat Ceasefire on 20 September 2022; border settlement agreed in February and March 2025. All casualty and weapon claims are those of one side unless stated; the death toll differs widely between sources.
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- 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.
- 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.
Cijfers geverifieerd op 30-09-2026. Back to the Tajik Air Force.