CSTO to allegedly have its own air force

Reports are coming out that the Collective Security Treaty Organization is to get its own air force in the coming years. The CSTO is a NATO like agreement between Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

The budget for the CSTO is very tight, but it's said that they would have attack helicopters for CAS, as well as cargo aircraft for moving troops and weapons around. They would be based in Kant, in Kyrgyzstan. A Russian Air Force contingent is already based there.

Two upcoming events lead analysts to believe that this is a very real possibility if the member nations can supply the aircraft in question. One is the NATO withdrawl from Afghanistan, which Russia has already said they would send "peacekeepers" to the area afterwards.

The second is the succession in Uzbekistan, which could destabilize the region.

Taking into account the latest crisis events that include the Steadfast Jazz Exercise in Poland and the Zapad 2013 event, as well as simulated attack on Sweden, it is interesting that the Russian NATO counterpart, CSTO, is going to have own air force, as it was revealed by Russian documents last month.

Collective Security Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance between Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

The eventual Collective Air Force (CAF) would be equipped with combat helicopters (provided by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan) to conduct CAS (Close Air Support) missions, and cargo planes, to move CSTO forces supporting the alliance’s operations.

The CAF would have in Kant airport, in Kyrgyzstan, where a Russian Air Force contingent is already deployed, its main operating base.

theaviationist.com...

reply to post by Zaphod58


I think in a perfect world, and what I'd half hoped for just a fleeting moment after 9/11, we'd see an alliance for global military 'regulation' of fighting among world powers, not regional or ethnic ones. Just Russia, China and the United States with perhaps Australia for geographic as well as like minded approach reasons, could easy project the force necessary to make inter-nation fighting a distant memory. Between the 4, reach with force would be sufficient with the back-up in what may as well be a near God Mode level, to flat stop and end fighting. No negotiation needed if the belligerents don't want to talk about peace.

If only the world leaders had any concern whatever for actual peace. This CSTO Agreement will just throw more tension into a region that has always had plenty, across history. The ones inside the agreement are comfy and the ones outside it are...well....hoping for peace, I suppose.

I also caught the bit about Russian Peacekeepers in Afghanistan. Oh.. That should go well.. lol.... These people all realize that fighting is a generational thing in Afghanistan, right? Some of today's commanders were kids against the Soviets back then. Heck, lets get out and let Russia have at Part 2 of their effort.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


It would be interesting, because tensions are going to be high due to the two events mentioned, but this agreement will just make them higher, and put a light to the powder keg of the region.

reply to post by Zaphod58


It leaves no doubt as to the lines of "Us" and "Them", to be sure. The Bear is fully out of Hibernation and awake, obviously. Kinda ornery by the looks of things, too. I hope Obama has his A game ready because Putin was playing spy games in dark alleys while Obama was hanging out with his college pals and doing what T&C doesn't allow elaboration on. It scares me more than we don't have any good, older experience corps in evidence around the President that knew the Soviets as Putin absolutely is down deep, IMO. After all, from the late 70's to the Fall of the Wall, Putin was a rising star in the Soviet K.G.B.. A nice group of fellows that made the CIA look kinda goofy and amateurish.

The future won't be a dull place and I'll bet in 10 years? National border lines will have come to rest in new places, yet again. Just my thoughts...we'll see.

Hmmm...a rose by any other name smells just as deadly.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I give it about 15. Russia has started playing a Chinese style game, and is taking a longer term goal than in the past. Instead of rushing into things and screwing them up, like the US tends to do, they're starting to look at things in terms of years and decades. There is still some "hurry up" in their policies, but they're starting to see the advantages in patience as well.

But you're right, the fact that all the old school people have been....urged to retire is scary. One of the scariest games on earth was the KGB/CIA game during the height of the cold war, and now there is no one around that remembers it anywhere near power, where they need to be.

This is , however natural "blowback" from US empire building activities in the area.
If there were no US (NATO) pressure there would be little need for such an organisation would there?
Russia will still have to go a long ways the get back into the drivers seat as the US "main emeny"
They have a lot of old tech, and some of their new stuff dont work that well either...
If SHTF and satelites were struck by anti-sat, the Russians actually would be a stronger position than us
So would CHINA>

reply to post by Zaphod58


Also reminds me of the response when Romney said Russia was our greatest geo-political foe in the world, the backlash of that comment was monumental, and he was made to look like a cold-war dinosaur. The fact people think somehow Putin loves America like a brother is scary.