Kazakhstan to build air defence system jointly with Russia

Kazakhstan defence minister Daniyal Akhmetov has said that Kazakhstan would build its air defence system in close cooperation with Russia. He said the country would use Russia''s S-300PMU2 ''Favourite'' and S-400 ''Triumph'' air defence missile systems.

Akhmetov said that active talks were already being held between Kazakh and Russian military officials. The Kazakh defence ministry recently signed a contract worth over $60 million with the MiG Corporation to modernise the country''s military aviation.

Russia is certainly Kazakhstan''s strategic partner in the field of air defence, Akhmetov said, adding: "We are working not only, for instance, in the field of purchasing military equipment. We are devising a whole system which makes it possible for both Russia and Kazakhstan to create a unified airspace, with unified control over the airspace and, as a result, unified combat duty."

The defence minister also said that Kazakhstan would launch four joint projects with foreign partners to produce modern types of military equipment in the country, before the end of the year.

He said the national army has only 75 per cent of the necessary number of officers, and that the number of sergeants and contract soldiers was also insufficient. Akhmetov said 3,095 officers would undergo the relevant retraining next year.

In accordance with the new ideology of the armed forces, the new doctrine by supreme commander-in-chief President Nursultan Nazarbayev, there is a need for new officers.

According to the new military doctrine, the country''s armed forces will undergo major reforms, aimed at increasing the level of combat readiness and resolving social issues of servicemen. Akhmetov said that the state''s priority was to form a strong, professional and combat-capable army.