Airliners-India.com Flickr Group & Facebook    FAQ   Search   Memberlist   Usergroups   Register   Profile   Log in to check your private messages   Log in  India set to begin operations in its Tajik air base          Airliners-India.com Forum Index -> Military Aviation & Space View previous topic :: View next topic   Author Message Aiel Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 927 Location: Bangalore Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 9:18 am    Post subject: India set to begin operations in its Tajik air base Tajik air base is ready, gives India its first footprint in strategic Central Asia NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 24:India's first ever air base in Central Asia at Ayni in Tajikistan is now ready and the Defence Ministry has sought a mandate from the Cabinet Committee on Security to begin operations. India refurbished the Ayni air base, 10 km north-east of Dushanbe, at the cost of over Rs 80 crore under a trilateral defence agreement with Tajikistan and Russia. Under the trilateral agreement, India, Russia and Tajikistan will have command and control of the air base by rotation and a contingent of Defence Services personnel is already in Ayni after military contractors completed construction last December. India has plans to put a squadron of Mi-17 V1 helicopters at Ayni with logistical support coming from Russia in the landlocked Tajikistan. While Russia is operating fighters from this base, New Delhi does not want to commit fixed-wing platforms for Ayni. The Indian Air Force has already given flying training to Tajikistan air force personnel under the agreement. Conceived in 2002 under the NDA regime, the Ayni air base allows India rapid response to any emerging threat from the volatile Afghanistan-Pakistan arc including a terrorist hijacking like the IC-814. Link Here _________________ My Flickr photos My JP.net account Back to top Aseem Member Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: YYZ Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 10:20 am    Post subject: excellent step! one wonders how the hell they are going to take choppes over there. Moreover, that base will come in handy if Pak does any mischief at Kargil or Siachen. We will hit them from both the sides. Here is Google Earth photo showing Ayni, Kabul and Kargil rgds VT-ASJ _________________ [url=http://openflights.org/user/aseemsjohri] [/url] Back to top Birendra Member Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 1411 Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 12:23 pm    Post subject: Strategical importance. Good for India. Back to top HAWK21M Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 8132 Location: Mumbai, INDIA Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 12:48 pm    Post subject: Great move. Better monitoring regds MEL _________________ Think of the Brighter side !!! Back to top the_380 Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2329 Location: Mumbai, India Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:03 pm    Post subject: Good move....helps in keeping a watch over Afghanistan _________________ http://www.myspace.com/avsatsworld A Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox Audio Producer!!! Back to top HAWK21M Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 8132 Location: Mumbai, INDIA Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:28 pm    Post subject: the_380 wrote: Good move....helps in keeping a watch over Afghanistan Rather South of Afghanistan regds MEL _________________ Think of the Brighter side !!! Back to top the_380 Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2329 Location: Mumbai, India Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 3:01 pm    Post subject: HAWK21M wrote: Rather South of Afghanistan regds MEL But India does need bases to monitor Pakistan and China ... Afghanistan at the moment is not a big threat from the national security point of view _________________ http://www.myspace.com/avsatsworld A Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox Audio Producer!!! Back to top AKLDELNonstop Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1066 Location: Auckland Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 3:15 pm    Post subject: Question is not whether we have the fire power but will our politicians have the balls to do an entebbe in an IC 814 type situation! _________________ Geniuses are always misunderstood in their lifetimes. Back to top the_380 Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2329 Location: Mumbai, India Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 3:20 pm    Post subject: AKLDELNonstop wrote: Question is not whether we have the fire power but will our politicians have the balls to do an entebbe in an IC 814 type situation! Well dude at the time of IC 814 hijacking there was no anti-hijack policy so our troops couldn't open fire or raid the aircraft ... the policy wa introduced in 2003 i guess. So now in such a situation no babus interfering _________________ http://www.myspace.com/avsatsworld A Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox Audio Producer!!! Back to top Aseem Member Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: YYZ Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:54 am    Post subject: folks!! click on the link below to see the satellite photo of IAF base in Tajikistan. I feel proud of it Wikimapia and here is the quote from the Wikipedia Wikipedia wrote: Farkhor Air Base (37°28'15"N 69°22'56"E) is the only Indian military base situated in a foreign country, at Farkhor/Ayni in Tajikistan. The base is located 130 kilometres (80 miles) south east of Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan just 2 kms from the Afghanistan border. The agreement between the two countries was signed in 2003 and ratified in late 2004. It stipulates the presence of the Indian Air Force and Indian Army to be permanently stationed there, and ward off any external threat to the country's security. Work on the base commenced immediately and the air base is expected to be in full operational readiness by the end of 2006.[1] Details of the composition of the base are not known but it is speculated that Indian military matériel acquired from Central Asia might be stationed there. Almost seventy percent of India's arms are procured from Russia and former Soviet republics. Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Strategic location and geopolitical implications 3 See also 4 References [edit] History In 2001, the India military opened a 25-bed hospital at the base at Farkhor to treat Afghan Northern Alliance members injured in fighting with the Taliban, including military leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was rushed there after the suicide attack against him. After the September 11 attacks, Tajikistan offered its bases, including Farkhor, to the United States in its war against terror. The Indian military hospital unit was relocated inside Afghanistan with the progress of Northern Alliance forces. The U.S. had initially shown interest in the base, but that did not proceed any further. (See also Karshi-Khanabad and Ganci air bases.) Reports began circulating in April 2006 that the Indian air base at Farkhor/Ayni in Tajikistan was operational. Both Indian and Tajik officials issued immediate denials, but they did admit that India had been renovating the base since 2002. Moreover, Russian sources confirmed that indeed such a base existed and that it was co-located with the Russian air base at Ayni, which is part of Russia’s own determined drive to rebuild its military presence and capabilities in Central Asia. When fully operational, the Indian base is expected to host 12 to 14 MiG-29 fighter bombers, according to various reports. [1] The exact origins of the offer of the Farkhor/Ayni base to India are not clearly known, but the Indian Ministry of External Affairs passed on the offer to the Ministry of Defence, headed by then Defence Minister George Fernandes who seized on the opportunity. The agreement was signed by former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmonov during Vajpayee's visit to that country in 2002. Tajikistan and India share close relations, with the Tajik President visiting India many times. Common issues between the two nations include peace, security and stability to the region around Afghanistan. India has also invested in hydroelectric power and is a major donor to Tajikistan. rgds VT-ASJ _________________ [url=http://openflights.org/user/aseemsjohri] [/url] Back to top HAWK21M Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 8132 Location: Mumbai, INDIA Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:58 am    Post subject: the_380 wrote: HAWK21M wrote: Rather South of Afghanistan regds MEL But India does need bases to monitor Pakistan and China ... Afghanistan at the moment is not a big threat from the national security point of view Thats what Im saying"South of Afghanistan" regds MEL _________________ Think of the Brighter side !!! Back to top karatecatman Guest Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:27 pm    Post subject: the_380 wrote: AKLDELNonstop wrote: Question is not whether we have the fire power but will our politicians have the balls to do an entebbe in an IC 814 type situation! Well dude at the time of IC 814 hijacking there was no anti-hijack policy so our troops couldn't open fire or raid the aircraft ... the policy wa introduced in 2003 i guess. So now in such a situation no babus interfering Absolutely right. It's very different now. Policy has advanced to even shoot down the aircraft --- at least it exists on paper. Anyway, the real hero of IC-814 then was Capt Devi Sharan and his crew! Back to top Nimish Member Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 9757 Location: Bangalore, India Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:47 pm    Post subject: Wow - this is rather good news and quite unexpected at that! Good luck to the Indian forces and I hope they maximize the benefits of this cooperation deal with Russia/Tajikistan. Back to top the_380 Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2329 Location: Mumbai, India Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:51 pm    Post subject: Nimish wrote: Good luck to the Indian forces and I hope they maximize the benefits of this cooperation deal with Russia/Tajikistan. Now this gives me a feeling that we're gonna get all Russian 126 new fighter aircrafts (if at all we're buying in reality-not in the media) _________________ http://www.myspace.com/avsatsworld A Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox Audio Producer!!! Back to top Aseem Member Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: YYZ Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:34 pm    Post subject: US claim for the aircraft deal is weak, and even they know that. You cannot expect to clinch the deal with your very first entry. Moreover, I am surprised by the abscense of French Rafale at Aero India 2007. Have they given up or are just too sure about it? rgds VT-ASJ _________________ [url=http://openflights.org/user/aseemsjohri] [/url] Back to top the_380 Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2329 Location: Mumbai, India Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:53 pm    Post subject: Aseem wrote: Moreover, I am surprised by the abscense of French Rafale at Aero India 2007. Have they given up or are just too sure about it? Im not sure if they've given up but definately they're not too sure about it because they know India has better relations with Russia than France. So maybe they've given up _________________ http://www.myspace.com/avsatsworld A Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox Audio Producer!!! Back to top HAWK21M Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 8132 Location: Mumbai, INDIA Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:14 am    Post subject: I still feel Majority of Russian Equipment,But a few US ones too.Keep the Mood happy & have a variety even if the cost would be a bit higher due Variations in Fleet due Stores Inventory. regds MEL _________________ Think of the Brighter side !!! Back to top shivendrashukla Member Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 1354 Location: Mumbai, India Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:21 pm    Post subject: IAF base there has been operating since 2001. First there was a Army field hospital then a squadron of MiG 29's moved there about a year back. Airfield is jointly mamaged by Russian's. Shivendra Back to top Aseem Member Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: YYZ Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:29 pm    Post subject: one thing nobody has been able to answer is how are they able to fly Mig-29 to the base without facing the ire of Pak and China. rgds VT-ASJ _________________ [url=http://openflights.org/user/aseemsjohri] [/url] Back to top the_380 Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2329 Location: Mumbai, India Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:39 pm    Post subject: Aseem wrote: one thing nobody has been able to answer is how are they able to fly Mig-29 to the base without facing the ire of Pak and China. Good question Maybe some special international permission just like how USA sent its B-2s and B-52s to Iraq and Afghanistan or maybe in some trasport plane like IL-78 (would it fit??? ) _________________ http://www.myspace.com/avsatsworld A Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox Audio Producer!!! Back to top shivendrashukla Member Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 1354 Location: Mumbai, India Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 9:21 pm    Post subject: the_380 wrote: some trasport plane like IL-78 (would it fit??? ) IL-78 is a mid-air refuller. it's IL-76 that heavy weight transporter. Ahmmm well they usually fly to Dubai and then hop across via Iran. Cheers Shivendra Back to top HAWK21M Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 8132 Location: Mumbai, INDIA Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 1:23 pm    Post subject: Aseem wrote: one thing nobody has been able to answer is how are they able to fly Mig-29 to the base without facing the ire of Pak and China. rgds VT-ASJ via the gulf for positioning regds MEL _________________ Think of the Brighter side !!! Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         Airliners-India.com Forum Index -> Military Aviation & Space All times are GMT + 5.5 Hours Page 1 of 1   Jump to: Select a forum New Members----------------Sign-up Guidelines Airliners-India----------------Civil AviationNon AviationTrip ReportsMilitary Aviation & SpaceInternationalAviation Polls & PreferenceTech/OpsAviation PhotographyEditorial/Analysis/ArticlesAviation HobbyAviation LawAviation Questions & CareersSite Related Flickr Group----------------Photo of the Month My Message Board----------------Pin Up  You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group. Hosted by phpBB.BizHat.com