Vaziani Military Base
Encyclopedia
The Vaziani Military Base is located about twenty kilometers outside Tbilisi at Latitude 41.6947 Longitude 45.0467, Georgia
. The main base is spread over 10,000 hectares.
The Vaziani airfield—location: 41°37′41"N 45°1′51"E—has strategic importance as its concrete landing-strip is suitable for middle (Il-76M) and heavy (An-124 "Ruslan") transport aircraft.
Under the Soviet Union, it was the home base of the 137th Guards District Training Centre, originating from the Soviet 1st Guards Mechanized Corps
. The airfield was home to the 283rd Aviation Division of the 34th Air Army.
The Russians retained control of a number of military bases even after Georgian independence. Vaziani was one of them, the others being Gudauta
, Akhalkalaki
and Batumi
. It was from Vaziani that Igor Giorgadze
was taken on a military flight to Moscow after the 1995 assassination attempt on President Eduard Shevardnadze
.
At the OSCE Summit in Istanbul in 1999, the Russian Federation and Georgia released a joint statement that Russian military bases at Gudauta and Vaziani would be disbanded and withdrawn by 1 July 2001.
Russia finally ceded control on June 29, 2001.
A battalion of Georgia's 1st Infantry Brigade, Georgian Land Forces
, then took possession.
In July 2008, it was the site of Immediate Response 2008
, which were U.S. training operations for Georgian forces.
It was bombed during the 2008 South Ossetia War
.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. The main base is spread over 10,000 hectares.
The Vaziani airfield—location: 41°37′41"N 45°1′51"E—has strategic importance as its concrete landing-strip is suitable for middle (Il-76M) and heavy (An-124 "Ruslan") transport aircraft.
Under the Soviet Union, it was the home base of the 137th Guards District Training Centre, originating from the Soviet 1st Guards Mechanized Corps
Soviet 1st Guards Mechanized Corps
The 1st Guards Mechanized Corps was a Red Army armoured formation that saw service during World War II on the Eastern Front. After the war it continued to serve with Soviet occupation forces in Central Europe. It was originally the 1st Guards Rifle Division...
. The airfield was home to the 283rd Aviation Division of the 34th Air Army.
The Russians retained control of a number of military bases even after Georgian independence. Vaziani was one of them, the others being Gudauta
Gudauta
Gudauta is a town in Abkhazia and a centre of the eponymous district. It is situated on the Black Sea, 37 km northwest to Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia....
, Akhalkalaki
Akhalkalaki
Akhalkalaki is a small city in Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti with a population of 60,975. Akhalkalaki lies on the edge of the Javakheti Volcanic Plateau. The city is located about 30 km from the border with Turkey. 90 percent of the city's population are ethnic Armenians...
and Batumi
Batumi
Batumi is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 121,806 , Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in...
. It was from Vaziani that Igor Giorgadze
Igor Giorgadze
Igor Giorgadze is a Georgian politician, a former Minister of State Security and the current leader of the `´Samartlianoba´´ Party.- Career :...
was taken on a military flight to Moscow after the 1995 assassination attempt on President Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze is a former Soviet, and later, Georgian statesman from the height to the end of the Cold War. He served as President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, and as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party , from 1972 to 1985. Shevardnadze was responsible for many top decisions on...
.
At the OSCE Summit in Istanbul in 1999, the Russian Federation and Georgia released a joint statement that Russian military bases at Gudauta and Vaziani would be disbanded and withdrawn by 1 July 2001.
Russia finally ceded control on June 29, 2001.
A battalion of Georgia's 1st Infantry Brigade, Georgian Land Forces
Georgian Land Forces
The Georgian Ground Forces are the land force component of the Georgian Armed Forces. They are the largest branch of the military and constitute the bulk of the GAF.-History:...
, then took possession.
In July 2008, it was the site of Immediate Response 2008
Immediate Response 2008
According to United States European Command,Immediate Response is an annual, bilateral security cooperation exercise conducted between U.S. and NATO and coalition partners...
, which were U.S. training operations for Georgian forces.
It was bombed during the 2008 South Ossetia War
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
.
External links
- The Jamestown Foundation
- OSCE Istanbul Document 1999
- Rustavi 2Rustavi 2Rustavi 2 Broadcasting Company , better known as Rustavi 2, is the most successful private television broadcasting company in Georgia. The Rustavi, based in Tbilisi, was founded in 1994 in the town of Rustavi. It is a privately owned free to air terrestrial broadcaster that currently reaches around...
- Stratfor