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Farkhor Air Base is a military air base located near the town of Farkhor in Tajikistan, Template:Convert southeast of the capital Dushanbe.[1] It is operated by the Indian Air Force[2] in collaboration with the Tajik Air Force.[3] Farkhor is India's first military base outside its territory.[1]
History
In 1996–97, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) started negotiations with Tajikistan to use the Farkhor Air Base to transport high-altitude military supplies to the Afghan Northern Alliance, service their helicopters and gather intelligence. At that time, India operated a small military hospital in the Farkhor region.[1] The hospital at Farkhor was used to treat Afghan Northern Alliance members injured in fighting with the Taliban, including military leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was rushed there after a suicide attack against him.[4] In 2002, India acknowledged that it was setting up an air base in Farkhor.[5] It was secured with assistance from Russia.[6] The airbase was in a dilapidated condition[7] and was not used since the 1980s. The Indian Government awarded a $10 million tender to a private builder in 2003 to restore the airbase by 2005. After the builder defaulted, the Border Roads Organisation stepped in to complete the work.[3] In 2006, India was considering deploying a squadron of MiG 29 aircraft at the base.[8]
Strategic location and geopolitical implications
The Farkhor Air Base would give the Indian military the required depth and range in seeking a larger role in the Indian Subcontinent and is a tangible manifestation of India's move to project its power in Central Asia.[9]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Making the water boil in Afghanistan. The Hindu(9 July 2022). Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ↑ Study Package For Clat 2nd Edition{{#if:Bhardwaj|, Bhardwaj}. Tata McGraw-Hill Education(2010). ISBN 0-07-107468-6
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 India to station MiG-29 fighter-bombers at Tajikistan base. The Tribune(22 April 2022). Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ↑ India to open military hospital in Tajikistan. The Times of India(21 November 2022). Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ↑ Indian military shadow over Central Asia. Asia Times(10 September 2022). Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ↑ India, Pakistan and the Battle for Afghanistan. Time(5 December 2022). Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ↑ Death Wave{{#if:William H. Keith|, William H. Keith}. Quercus(2011). ISBN 0-85738-520-8
- ↑ Subsequently the base was operationalized by 2007. India to station MiG-29 fighter-bombers at Tajikistan base Tribune India 22 April 2006
- ↑ China’s Tajikistan military base eclipses India’s Central Asian ambitions, Tanchum, Micha'el. East Asia Forum(2019-03-22). Retrieved 2021-09-03.