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KAZBAT
КАЗБАТ
KAZBAT soldiers at the closing ceremony of Steppe Eagle in 2014.
Active31 January 2000 – Present
Allegiance Kazakhstan
 United Nations
Branch Kazakh Air Assault Forces
RolePeacekeeping
SizeIndependent Battalion (over 300)
Part of 38th Air Assault Brigade (KAZBRIG)
Garrison/HQKapchagay, Almaty Region
Military unit

KAZBAT refers to a peacekeeping military unit in the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan. It is an airmobile brigade of the Kazakh Air Assault Forces.

History

In 1995, the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan established the Central Asian Battalion (CENTRASBAT). It was dissolved in 1999, even though the last manoeuvre took place as initially planned in 2000. Afterwards, KAZBAT was established on 31 January 2000 by decree of President Nursultan Nazarbayev and is responsible for conducting peacekeeping operations and humanitarian missions in foreign countries on behalf of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 2015, the Law "On Peacekeeping of the Republic of Kazakhstan" was adopted by the Parliament of Kazakhstan, defining the tasks and competencies of the state in regulating the participation of the country's peacekeeping operations around the world.

Deployments

Major General Adilbek Aldaberpenov (left) greets Lieutenant General William Glenn Webster of United States Army Central at KAZBAT headquarters, 1 October 2009.

In 2003, Nazarbayev sent close to 300 KAZBAT peacekeepers to Iraq during the early stages of the Iraq War, where its personnel took part in Demining operations. During this 5 year action as part of a NATO-led Multi-National Force – Iraq, an explosion occurred when Kazakh sappers accompanied by a Ukrainian back-up team set off two rigged aerial bombs while attempting to unload them from the transport vehicles. Compared to the 8 deaths from the Ukrainian 72nd Mechanized Brigade, the battalion suffered a sole fatality. Ukrainian President Kuchma ordered the immediate withdrawal of Ukrainian peacekeepers as a result, but the Kazakh unit remained until 2008.

Soldiers of the battalion have also been sent on peacekeeping missions led by the United Nations, including those in Lebanon (as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), Haiti, Western Sahara, Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia. In the Lebanese contingent, a company of 120 personnel were part of the IndKazBat unit. The Ministry of Defence described the mission as one that "will help strengthen international security and demonstrates Kazakhstan’s position as a responsible member of the international community".

Training exercises

It has also participated in many joint exercises with other peacekeeping units and military units, such as the Arizona Army National Guard. Since 2002, the unit has hosted the joint tactical peacekeeping exercise "Steppe Eagle" in Kazakhstan, during which it operates within a multinational force under a unified NATO-led command. The battalion annually sends at least a dozen soldiers to the United Kingdom to attend the British Armed Forces Training Establishment for Peace Support Operations in the region.

Requirements

All members of the battalion are fluent in English, as well as other languages, including Russian and French. Other criteria include at least 5 years of service in the military, excellent physical shape, and health and an age range of between 25 and 50 years old.

In popular culture

In 2019, a film directed by Askar Uzabaev was released called The KAZBAT Soldiers, which depicted a border skirmish during a peacekeeping operation in Tajikistan during their civil war when 17 members of the battalion's predecessor unit were killed in fighting with Islamic rebels. The film was primarily aired on the Qazaqstan state media channel.

See also

References

  1. "Kazakhstan Reportedly Eyeing African UN Peacekeeping | Eurasianet". Eurasianet.
  2. "Central Asia and the Caucasus". Central Asia and The Caucasus, Information and Analytical Center. July 28, 2008 – via Google Books.
  3. Matthew Stein: The History of Central Asian Peacekeepers: The Development of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan’s Peacekeeping Units by Fits and Starts, in: The Journal of Slavic Military Studies, Vol. 31 (2018), no. 2, pp. 257–271 (here: pp. 259–60). Available here.
  4. Gott, Kendall D.; Brooks, Michael G. (July 28, 2006). Security Assistance: U.S. and International Historical Perspectives. Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN 9780160773464 – via Google Books.
  5. "Казбат: ради мира в Ираке". «Қазақстан тарихы» порталы (in Russian). 2019-01-21. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  6. "Вероятность отправки «Казбата» в горячую точку и вопрос пособий". rus.azattyq.org.
  7. "Military says explosion that killed eight soldiers in Iraq was a terrorist act". www.kyivpost.com. 21 January 2005. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  8. "Возвращение. Казахстанские миротворцы вернулись из Ирака. http://www.liter.kz, октябрь 2008 г." Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
  9. "Этот домен припаркован компанией Timeweb". vh244.timeweb.ru.
  10. iCasualties. "Kazakhstan". iCasualties. Archived from the original on February 14, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  11. "Lebanon, Kazakhstan to boost military cooperation - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019.
  12. "Kazakh Defense Minister pays working visit to Lebanon". www.inform.kz. May 13, 2019.
  13. "After A Generation, Kazakh Peacekeeping Contingent Prepares To Go Abroad". www.rferl.org.
  14. "Kazbat is ready for peacemaking mission". vestnikkavkaza.net.
  15. "Kazakhstan Boosts Its International Credentials By Playing Role Of Peacekeeper". caspiannews.com.
  16. "#Kazakhstan celebrates 25th Anniversary of its Armed Forces". June 13, 2017.
  17. "Minister of Defense pays a working visit to Lebanon". kazakhembus.com.
  18. November 2018, Malika Orazgaliyeva in International on 2 (November 2, 2018). "Kazakh peacekeepers join Indian battalion in Lebanon, as UN Secretary-General welcomes news".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. "Arizona Soldiers take part in global peacekeeping training | Department of Emergency and Military Affairs". dema.az.gov.
  21. "Steppe Eagle – 2015 Multinational Peacekeeping Exercises to be Held in April and June". The Astana Times. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
  22. "Steppe Eagle 2018: Interoperability with Partner Countries in Action". www.dvidshub.net. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  23. KAZBAT
  24. Steppe Eagle.
  25. "British Military assist KAZBAT with STEPPE EAGLE". GOV.UK.
  26. "Завершились съемки художественного фильма и сериала "Казбат"". www.caravan.kz.
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