Kyrgyz Special Forces Showcase Combat Drone Capabilities in Anti-Terror Exercise

Kyrgyzstan’s elite State Committee for National Security (GKNB) special forces unit, Alpha, demonstrated advanced combat capabilities during the Asman Kozomolu 2025 anti-terrorist exercises, held to enhance operational readiness in modern warfare scenarios. According to the GKNB, the drills featured the use of cutting-edge weaponry, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), first-person view (FPV) drones, and robotic ground systems​. The exercises aimed to sharpen the operational skills of personnel in deploying modern combat technologies under conditions simulating real combat. “In conditions close to combat, critical capabilities of modern combat robotics and UAVs were demonstrated, along with the process of manufacturing FPV drones,” the committee stated. A key component of the drill involved storming a simulated administrative building using a ground-based combat robot, followed by a coordinated assault by special forces. The unit also rehearsed neutralizing enemy vehicles using kamikaze ground drones and attack drones equipped with shaped-charge munitions. Additionally, operators practiced deploying FPV drones with varying payload-release mechanisms. GKNB Chairman Kamchybek Tashiev attended the exercise and participated in sniper shooting drills. Addressing the forces, he emphasized the government’s commitment to equipping military and security units with state-of-the-art logistics and weaponry to counter emerging threats. Kyrgyzstan initiated its drone program in late 2021, acquiring Turkish-made Bayraktar drones during heightened tensions along the Tajik border. Since then, the country has expanded its drone arsenal to include Russian Orlan-10 UAVs. In 2022, Kyrgyzstan inaugurated its first drone base, and by 2024, it had unveiled its first domestically produced drone at an industrial exhibition attended by President Sadyr Japarov.