Yekaterinburg. November 8. INTERFAX - The combat capabilities of the Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan are constantly increasing, it is reinforced with upgraded Su-25SM aircraft and a new radar station, Alexander Lapin, commander of the Central Military District (CVO), told reporters.
"We are continuously working to increase the combat capabilities of any military unit of the district, including the Kant airbase. This work should not be stopped in any case. For this purpose, this year (at the airbase - IF), the upgraded 1RL131 radar station and the VIP177M3 remote indicator post were delivered, which allowed increasing the capabilities for targeting attack aircraft by more than 2.5 times and continuously monitoring the airspace," he said after the awarding ceremony of the winners of the district stage of the All-Russian Press Festival "Media As Center 2021".
"In addition, as part of this work, two Mi-8MTV5-1 amphibious transport helicopters entered service at the base in 2020. Its Su-25SM attack aircraft also underwent planned replacement and modernization," Lapin added.
The commander of the Central Military District noted that the professional skills of the military personnel of the airbase are also constantly being improved. This year they took part in nine international exercises that took place on the territory of Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. At all of them, the pilots of the airbase showed a high level of training.
"We now have a well-equipped Russian military base capable of controlling the airspace over Central Asia, providing air support to units of the ground component of the collective rapid reaction forces of the Central Asian region of the CSTO, as well as ensuring the security of the air borders of Kyrgyzstan," Lapin added.
The press service of the Central Military District, in turn, clarified that the airbase fleet has been updated until 2021 over the past few years. The Su-25 aircraft were replaced by the Su-25SM and subsequently upgraded. Additional equipment was installed on the attack aircraft, allowing them to perform combat missions in various conditions, including in the clouds.
Earlier, the deputy commander of the troops of the Central Military District, Rustam Minnekaev, told Interfax that the Russian Kant air base in Kyrgyzstan was being reinforced with air defense complexes.
On February 11, 2020, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Nikolai Pankov stated that the Russian military planned to deploy air defense equipment at the Kant base.
In February last year, the commander of the Central Military District, Alexander Lapin, said that the Russian air base in Kyrgyzstan was reinforced with reconnaissance drones.
