Army - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kazakhstan Proposes to Abolish Compulsory Military Conscription

In Kazakhstan, activists have led calls to abolish compulsory military service by publishing a petition on the epetition.kz platform directed to the Ministry of Defense. The petition has been provoked by recent tragic cases among servicemen, which, the document's authors say, revealed severe problems in the Kazakh army. The petition emphasizes that the main issues are hazing and non-statutory relations, which exert strong pressure on conscripts, causing psychological trauma and, in some cases, suicide. The authors are also concerned about soldiers' inadequate training. They believe modern challenges and technologies can be effectively countered only by professional soldiers, not temporarily conscripted ones. The authors cite weak medical and psychological supervision as one of the military's critical problems, as it does not help conscripts adapt to army conditions. They propose a switch to a thoroughly professional army, which they believe would improve training and reduce the number of tragic incidents. The petition will be open until October 4. To be considered by the government, a petition in Kazakhstan must garner at least 50,000 votes. In recent years, Kazakhstan has observed an alarming increase in suicides among soldiers. In 2022, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered an investigation to identify the causes of these incidents. Hazing and psychological pressure remains one of the key causes of these tragedies. Despite the measures taken, such incidents continue. Last month Kazakhstan was shocked by the death of a conscripted soldier in the Mangistau region. According to some reports, an officer shot the enlisted man in the face with a pistol.

Security Armed Forces Defense Army

Drones, Armored Vehicles, and Planes: Kazakhstan Announces Large-Scale Rearmament

The Defense Department of Kazakhstan has provided a report on its work for the first half of this year, documenting that the Kazakh army intends to update its weaponry. The geography of supplies is extensive, from Chinese quadcopters to European heavy transport aircraft. In 2024, the delivery of the armored wheeled vehicles Arlan (produced by Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering) and COBRA II (Turkish Otocar) is expected. By the end of the year, the department plans to purchase complex tactical unmanned systems (SUNQAR) and mini unmanned systems (EVOMax). Experts believe that the decision to buy drones was dictated by the mass use of such systems in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. These hostilities have convincingly proved that quadcopters are an effective type of weaponry. The Defense Ministry reports that the "Armed Forces continue rearming with modern equipment models, including domestically produced ones. More than equipment was received this year, 50 units were overhauled." Five hundred units of new fighter jets and anti-aircraft missile systems formed of high-precision weapons classes are being purchased for the Air Defense Forces. According to Orda.kz, the choice was made to favor the Russian Su-30SM aircraft. Earlier, there was information about the possible purchase of French Rafale fighters. "In December last year, the Defense Ministry noted that given the high cost of French Rafale aircraft, the purchase of Russian planes is being considered. The Su-30SM is a multi-role fighter, and, logically, the Defense Ministry does not advertise that it will buy planes, and possibly SAMs, from a 'sub-sanctioned ally,'" the publication noted. In addition, the ANKA heavy-class unmanned aerial vehicle system is undergoing experimental military operations. The Turkish strike UAV entered service with four countries in 2023. This year, production of the ANKA will begin in Kazakhstan. The report indicates that the European Union is expected to deliver the first A400M heavy-lift military transport aircraft and an anti-diversion boat for the Navy. The department stated, "Shops have been launched to repair armored and automotive equipment, troop air defense, anti-tank systems, artillery, and small arms. So far, more than 1.5 thousand military equipment units have been repaired." In the annual rating of countries based on their level of military power Global Firepower-2024, Kazakhstan was placed 58th out of 145. Kazakhstan's armed forces are recognized as being the strongest in Central Asia.

Finance Army Legislation Central Asia Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz Servicemen Will Be Allowed to Buy Their Military Housing

A new law in Kyrgyzstan allows military personnel who have served in the Kyrgyz army for more than 20 years to purchase their government-issued housing for temporary use. Additionally, families of servicemen killed in the line of duty -- and former members of the military themselves -- can submit claims for housing. The state-assigned apartment can be bought out, or, under certain conditions, can be obtained free of charge. "To military servicemen, dismissed to the reserve or retired by age, health, redundancy or family and other important circumstances and having a length of service of 20 calendar years or more, as well as family members of a serviceman who died or died in the performance of military service, occupied or provided them with service apartments at their chosen place of residence are transferred to personal ownership free of charge," reads the text of the law. The issue of service housing had previously been raised by the Ministry of Defense. The ministry believed that employees should be able to own their state housing during their service, and not only upon retirement. The ministry says it believes the legislative changes will raise the status of the Kyrgyz army. According to official data, more than 3,000 military personnel live in cramped conditions in the country. The authorities pay rent compensation to such service members in the amount of $100 per month.