Outpost at Tajikistan still on India's radar

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Outpost at Tajikistan still on India's radar

21 Jan 2008, 0123 hrs IST , Rajat Pandit , TNN Times of India

NEW DELHI: Despite some Russian chill, India has not junked its plans to establish a geostrategic footprint in the energy-rich Central Asia through a 'military outpost' at the Ayni airbase in Tajikistan. There are already over 150 Indian military personnel stationed at Ayni, which includes an IAF detachment of pilots and support staff for Mi-17 helicopters. After a meeting between defence minister A K Antony and his Tajik counterpart Colonel-General Khairullaev Sherali here on Friday, sources said the Ayni airbase 'still very much' figured on the Indian radar screens. This comes in wake of Russia apparently reversing its earlier green signal to India's 'long-term' plans to base some MiG-29 fighter jets at Ayni after stationing at least one squadron of Mi-17 helicopters there in the "short-term." "Talks are in progress to resolve the issues at Ayni. The Russians, of course, have to be onboard since they exercise a huge influence over Tajikistan," said a source. The Russian U-turn came towards the end of last year just when the Ayni airbase — around 15 km from Tajik capital Dushanbe — became fully operational under a trilateral agreement of India, Tajikistan and Russia. India has pitched in Rs 100 crore as well as technical help from Army and Border Roads Organisation to extend and relay the runway at the Ayni airbase, apart from constructing three aircraft hangars, an air-control tower and perimeter-fencing around the base. The Russian displeasure is being attributed to India's growing strategic embrace with the US as well as its deliberate strategy to 'broad-base' its huge defence procurements by turning to countries like US, Israel, France and UK, instead of relying solely on Russia as in the past. The Indian security establishment, of course, has long denied any endeavour to establish a military base at Ayni. Asked about Antony’s meeting with Sherali, a defence ministry official only said, "It was a routine courtesy call." The fact, however, remains that it was in 2002 itself that plans for the Ayni airbase, which was then in a decrepit state, were conceived by India in keeping with its rapidly-growing energy requirements and the strategic need to keep a close watch on the Pakistan-Afghanistan region. A military outpost in the region will also give India the option to deploy its special forces into nearby areas in times of emergency like the IC-814 hijacking to Kandahar in December 1999. India, incidentally, has operated in Tajikistan, which has a long 1,200-km border with Afghanistan, since the 1990s. Both New Delhi and Dushanbe had joined hands to help the Northern Alliance in its fight against the then Taliban regime in Afghanistan. India, in fact, had even set up a hospital at Farkhor, near the border with Afghanistan, to treat wounded Northern Alliance personnel.

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Absolutely an stretegic Move by India.

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Indian military base in Tajikistan almost complete: Indian Defence Minister

NEW DELHI, Jan 21 (APP): Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony said on Monday that Indian military base in Tajikistan was almost complete but some technical problems were still there blocking its full-fledged function.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar organized by Department of Defence Production here, he said that about 150 Indian military personnel were already stationed at the Ayni airbase in Tajikistan. The Minister however, did not elaborate the technical problems being faced by India at the base.

Indian Defence Minister and his Tajik counterpart Khairullaev Sherali had already discussed the issue of technical problems relating to the base here last week.

Media reports quoting official sources said what type of aircraft to be stationed at the base was the issue which was delaying the full-fledged functioning of the base.

When asked about the delay in the procurement of Gorshkov aircraft carrier, from Russia, he said negotiations were still continuing.

Earlier, addressing the seminar ‘Synergising Defence, Industries and Technologies through Standardisation’, he said, “we need to intensify standardisation and codification if we have to avoid a logistics nightmare.”

Associated Press of Pakistan - Indian military base in Tajikistan almost complete: Indian Defence Minister

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What does Tajikistan get in return for this base?

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What does Tajikistan get in return for this base?

If you are asking this in purely military terms then Tajikistan will get Military Training in terms Airforce and Army as well as Indian will also cooperate with tajikistan in terms of economics and infrastrure need.

As mentioned in the article, India will also cooperate with Tajikistan to fight the meance of terrorism.