Central Asia's militaries are buying beyond Russia, one system at a time

Over the past fortnight, several Central Asian militaries showed what they have been buying, and little of it came from Russia. On 27 September Turkmenistan paraded a Chinese air-defence system for the first time. A former head of India's defence research agency said on 21 September, and the Defence Secretary confirmed on 1 October, that the Akash missile had been exported to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan took delivery of a Brazilian military transport, and Airbus said Kazakhstan's second A400M was in acceptance. In the same period, 14 Kazakh servicemen died in a Caspian exercise, and the defence minister lost his job. Taken together, the events show a region spreading its purchases across suppliers while its main weaknesses lie in training and command.

Turkmenistan: the Chinese layer gets thicker

The Independence Day parade in Ashgabat marked 35 years of statehood and gave the first official confirmation that the Chinese FK-2000 is in service. Militarnyi counted at least eight vehicles in the footage; the number bought has not been disclosed. The FK-2000 is an 8x8 wheeled system with 12 missiles and two 30-mm six-barrel cannons, designed to engage aircraft at 1.2–25 km and cruise missiles and guided munitions at 1.2–10 km. In the column it followed three Chinese systems that have been in Turkmen service since 2016: the FM-90, KS-1A and FD-2000.

Hronika Turkmenistana notes how far the balance has shifted. At the 2016 parade, Soviet and modernised Soviet systems such as the Osa, Pechora-2M and S-200 were shown alongside the Chinese ones; this year its account of the air-defence column lists the FM-90, KS-1A and FD-2000, followed by the new FK-2000. Defence Express, a Ukrainian outlet, puts the pre-delivery inventory at 12 S-200 launchers, at least four FD-2000 launchers, two Krug, four KS-1A and four S-125 Pechora-2M launchers, and argues that Russia is losing a market it built. That is an interpretation, not an official assessment. The air force still flies Soviet aircraft: Hronika cites open estimates of about 24 MiG-29s and 25 Su-25s, and says there is no confirmed contract to replace the MiGs with Chinese fighters. The same parade also showed SIG Sauer M7 rifles and M250 machine guns, US-designed weapons, according to reports cited by Hronika.

India's Akash reaches Central Asia

India's entry is newer. On 21 September the former chairman of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation, Samir V. Kamat, said Akash systems had been exported to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. On 1 October Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh confirmed it on the record. "The first customer was Armenia, which has taken multiple batteries. Thereafter, we've also exported it to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan," he said, according to BusinessLine, and added that more orders were expected. Neither government in Central Asia has commented, and the number of systems, the variant and the contract values have not been disclosed.

According to India's Department of Defence Production, the Akash engages helicopters, fighter aircraft and drones at ranges of 4.5–25 km. India approved its export in December 2020, citing more than 96 per cent domestic content, with an export configuration different from the one used by Indian forces. For Dushanbe and Ashgabat, one likely attraction is that an Indian system carries no Western sanctions risk and spreads dependence across more suppliers; neither government has explained its choice.

Airlift from Brazil and Europe

Uzbekistan became the first Central Asian operator of the Embraer C-390 Millennium when the first aircraft was handed over in Brazil, Asian Military Review reports. The contract, signed at the end of 2024, includes training, support and spare parts. Embraer says the aircraft carries up to 26 tonnes at up to 470 knots and can operate from unpaved runways. Its other customers include Portugal, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, South Korea and the UAE, so Uzbekistan now shares a type with several NATO air forces.

Kazakhstan is following the European route. Airbus said this week that the second A400M, painted in Kazakh livery, was undergoing technical acceptance; the first arrived in December 2024. Neither purchase replaces Soviet-era combat aircraft, but both give Tashkent and Astana airlift from suppliers outside Russia, and, in Uzbekistan's case, a training and support package from the manufacturer.

Partners for training and intelligence

Exercises and agreements are following the same direction. Uzbek troops took part in Power of Unity 2026, which Azerbaijan hosted with Türkiye from 21 September. Daily Sabah, citing Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry, reports more than 3,500 personnel, over 130 drones, 70 armoured vehicles, 90 artillery systems, 20 aircraft and more than 15 air-defence systems. It also says this was the first exercise of that scale to include territory retaken by Azerbaijan. Closer to home, on 29 September Kyrgyzstan's cabinet approved a military intelligence cooperation agreement with Uzbekistan's Defence Ministry, signed in Cholpon-Ata on 30 July. 24.kg notes that the published resolution does not say what information will be shared.

The Caspian accident and the limits of hardware

Kazakhstan's exercise deaths are a reminder of where the real gaps are. According to the Defence Ministry, 17 servicemen were swept into the sea on 24 September during the Caspian Defence 2026 exercise when the weather turned; three were rescued and 14 died, most of them under 25, The Diplomat reports. Five officers, including the naval chief of staff and two unit commanders, have been detained on suspicion of negligence and breaches of navigation rules. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dismissed Defence Minister Dauren Kosanov after just over 15 months in post and appointed Aidos Myrzakhmetov, the commander of special operations forces. Four servicemen died in similar conditions in the same area in 2015. A retired colonel, Yermek Seitbattalov, told Kaztag that officer training and safety during exercises remained among the most serious unresolved weaknesses.

The juxtaposition matters for anyone assessing the region's militaries. New systems arrive with training packages from the seller, but doctrine, command, and the routine management of risk are domestic responsibilities. A new air-defence battery is only as useful as the crews and command structure behind it.

What to watch

• Official confirmation from Dushanbe or Ashgabat of the Akash purchases, and whether further batteries follow.
• Whether Turkmenistan replaces its MiG-29 fleet and, if so, from which supplier.
• Changes under Kazakhstan's new defence minister, and the outcome of the negligence case against the five detained officers.
• Further C-390 or A400M deliveries, and any other Central Asian buyer of either type.

Sources

• Militarnyi — Turkmenistan Strengthens Its Air Defense With Chinese FK-2000 Systems
• Hronika Turkmenistana — В Туркменистане показали новый китайский комплекс ПВО, а советские МиГ-29 пока сохраняются в составе ВВС
• Defence Express — russia May Be Furious as Turkmenistan Buys Chinese S-300 Clone and FK-2000 Air Defense Systems
• BusinessLine — After Armenia, India exports Akash Air Defence System to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan: Defence secretary
• SSBCrack — Former DRDO Chief Confirms Akash Exports to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan
• Asian Military Review — Embraer delivers first C-390 Millennium to the Uzbekistan Air Force
• Defensehere — Airbus shares update on delivery of second A400M aircraft to Kazakhstan
• Daily Sabah — Turkish defense chief attends major joint military drills in Azerbaijan
• 24.kg — Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan agree on military intelligence cooperation
• The Diplomat — Officials Detained as Kazakhstan Mourns Soldiers Perished at Sea