Karshi-Khanabad Air Base
Encyclopedia
Karshi-Khanabad is an air base in southeastern Uzbekistan
, just east of Karshi
. It is home to the 60th Separate Mixed Aviation Brigade of the Uzbek Air Force
. A section of the base serves as a commercial airport, supporting a limited number of passenger flights.
From 1954 to 1981, the 735th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Soviet Air Defence Force was stationed at the base. It was equipped with Mig-15 (July 1950-1955), MiG-17 (1955-1969), and then Sukhoi Su-9 aircraft (1961-1980). In 1981 it was renamed the 735th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment, and in 1984 the 735th Bomber Aviation Regiment. From 1980-84 the regiment was equipped with the MiG-23M, and from 1984-1992 with the Su-24. The regiment was under control of the Air Forces of the Turkestan Military District from April 1980 to May 1988, and then under 49th Air Army and 73rd Air Army. From 1992 changes began to affect the regiment before it was merged with other units into the 60th Separate Mixed Aviation Brigade.
Between 2001 and 2005 the United States Air Force
used the base, also known as K2
and "Stronghold Freedom", for support missions against al-Qaeda
in neighbouring Afghanistan
. The 416th Air Expeditionary Operations Group was the host unit. On July 29, 2005, amid strained relations caused by the May 2005 unrest in Uzbekistan, the United States was told to vacate the base within six months. It was vacated by the United States in November 2005.
of 1365 feet (416 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 07/25 with a concrete
surface measuring 2498 by 40 m (8,195.5 by 131.2 ).
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, just east of Karshi
Qarshi
Qarshi is a city in southern Uzbekistan. It is the capital of Qashqadaryo Province and has a population of 197,600 . It is about 520 km south-southwest of Tashkent, and about 335 km north of Uzbekistan's border with Afghanistan. It is located at latitude 38° 51' 48N; longitude 65° 47'...
. It is home to the 60th Separate Mixed Aviation Brigade of the Uzbek Air Force
Military of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan's armed forces form the state organisation charged with the defence of Uzbekistan. They are reported to be the largest in Central Asia...
. A section of the base serves as a commercial airport, supporting a limited number of passenger flights.
From 1954 to 1981, the 735th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Soviet Air Defence Force was stationed at the base. It was equipped with Mig-15 (July 1950-1955), MiG-17 (1955-1969), and then Sukhoi Su-9 aircraft (1961-1980). In 1981 it was renamed the 735th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment, and in 1984 the 735th Bomber Aviation Regiment. From 1980-84 the regiment was equipped with the MiG-23M, and from 1984-1992 with the Su-24. The regiment was under control of the Air Forces of the Turkestan Military District from April 1980 to May 1988, and then under 49th Air Army and 73rd Air Army. From 1992 changes began to affect the regiment before it was merged with other units into the 60th Separate Mixed Aviation Brigade.
Between 2001 and 2005 the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
used the base, also known as K2
K2 (disambiguation)
K2 is a mountain located on the border of China and Pakistan.K2 or K-2 may also refer to:* Mount K2, in CanadaTransportation:* K2, Polish airline EuroLOT* K-2 , a state highway in Kansas...
and "Stronghold Freedom", for support missions against al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
in neighbouring Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The 416th Air Expeditionary Operations Group was the host unit. On July 29, 2005, amid strained relations caused by the May 2005 unrest in Uzbekistan, the United States was told to vacate the base within six months. It was vacated by the United States in November 2005.
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 1365 feet (416 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
designated 07/25 with a concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
surface measuring 2498 by 40 m (8,195.5 by 131.2 ).
Airlines and destinations
See also
- Manas Air BaseManas Air BaseTransit Center at Manas is a United States military installation at Manas International Airport, near Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, primarily operated by the U.S. Air Force....
, KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east... - New Great Game
- Craig MurrayCraig MurrayCraig John Murray is a British political activist, former ambassador to Uzbekistan and former Rector of the University of Dundee....
, Islam Karimov
