Why Kyrgyzstan Is Procuring Turkish And Russian Drones For Its Tiny Air Force

Since attaining its independence from the Soviet Union 30 years ago, the tiny mountainous landlocked Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan has never had much of an air force. Today, Bishkek hopes to, at least partially, make up for this shortcoming by procuring drones from Turkey and Russia. 

“We’re not buying drones to go to war with someone. We will buy drones to ensure the country’s security,” said Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on Oct. 23. 

The Kyrgyz order for drones comes less than a year after the country engaged in brief border clashes with neighboring Tajikistan back in April. During those three days of clashes, Kyrgyzstan suffered 36 deaths. 

…