BISHKEK. Dec 9 (Interfax-AVN) - The Kyrgyz Defense Ministry's airfield in the community of Kant completely meets the deployment standards for Russian SU-25 Frogfoot and SU-27 Flanker aircraft, Kyrgyz Defense Minister Esen Topoyev told Interfax on Monday.
Over 70 Russian Air Force experts led by Deputy Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Alexander Zelin have been visiting Kant, which is situated 20 kilometers from Bishkek, since November 6, Topoyev said.
The experts have thoroughly examined the airport infrastructure and the barracks area, where military-technical personnel should be settled, he said.
"The airstrip, ground control center, technical maintenance section and filling stations were studied. The Russian experts noted that the Kant airport completely meets operation standards for all types of Russian warplanes," the minister stressed.
Kant is expected to base Russian SU-27 fighters and SU-25 attack planes, Kyrgyz warplanes, L-39 trainer fighters, MI-8 Hip helicopters, and AN-26 Curl and AN-12 Cub military cargo planes.
"The military compound where military specialists and pilots will be housed only requires running repairs," Topoyev said.
The SU-25 and SU-27 planes of the Russian Air Force and IL- 76 Candid transport planes performed experimental flights at Kant on December 5 and left for permanent stationing areas in Russia.
The appearance of an airforce unit within the collective quick response forces should promote the security not only of Kyrgyzstan, but the whole Central Asian region, Topoyev said.
"The military airfield in Kant was provided by Kyrgyzstan for aviation of the Collective Security Treaty in line with its commitments to other nations signatories to the treaty and in the framework of bilateral relations with Russian and other CIS nations," the minister stressed. Kyrgyzstan has been meeting its military commitments to its CIS allies quite successfully, he added.
Commenting on the creation of an airforce unit under the Collective Security Treaty, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Askar Aitmatov noted that unlike the international antiterrorist coalition military units deployed at the Manas airport, the Collective Security Treaty air units will not be based in Kyrgyzstan temporarily, but on a long-term basis to ensure security and stability in the region.