Tajikistan hosts Russian military exercises

The Russian military base deployed in Tajikistan began a military exercise involving combat helicopters and a long range air defense system S-300PS on Monday, Interfax reports, citing the Central Military District of the Russian Federation.

“A tactical flight training for crews of military transport helicopters Mi-8MTV5-1 and Mi-24 strike helicopters of Russian military base’s aviation group has been launched in mountains of Tajikistan,” the Central Military District of the Russian Federation was cited as saying on February 14.  

“To provide support to motorized rifle units, the army aviation crews carry out missile strikes against ground targets of a hypothetical enemy at the Sambuli training ground,” the Central Military District press center says.  

Pilots are practicing landing on unprepared sites, working out aerial reconnaissance tasks, working out aspects of evacuation and transportation of hypothetical victims and providing medical aid to them.

They will also fly at extremely low altitudes and take terrain following flights as well as take a mountain survival course. 

The Russian military base deployed in Tajikistan is subordinate to the Central Military District.  It is Russia's largest non-naval military facility outside the country.

It was officially opened in Tajikistan in 2004 under a previous agreement, which was signed in 1993, and hosts Russia’s largest military contingent deployed abroad.  A total of some 7,000 Russian troops are now stationed at two military facilities collectively known as the 201st military base – in Dushanbe and Bokhtar (formerly Qurghon Teppa), some 100 kilometers from Dushanbe.