India has rounded off its operation at the strategic Ayni Air Base in Tajikistan after helping it run since 2002.
About Ayni Air Base:
It is located in Tajikistan.
It is the first overseas military facility operated by India.
Located just west of Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, the base had been a neglected Soviet-era facility before India stepped in to modernize it.
India began developing the Ayni airbase in the early 2000s under an agreement with Tajikistan.
India invested close to $100 million in the development and modernization of the airbase.
It extended the runway to 3,200 metres and upgraded facilities for refuelling, repairs, and hangars.
At times, India even stationed around 200 personnel from the army and air force at the site.
India temporarily deployed Su-30MKI fighter jets and helicopters to the base roughly a decade ago.
India withdrew from the airbase aftera bilateral agreement on stationing Indian personnel at the location ended in 2022.
Why the Ayni Airbase Mattered for India?
The base enabled India to maintain contact with anti-Taliban forces before 2001 and later provided a route for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
Ayni’s location gave India a unique advantage. The base is just about 20 kilometres from Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, which borders Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
From there, Indian forces could theoretically target key Pakistani cities such as Peshawar.
Ayni served as a gateway for India to enhance its presence in Central Asia, a region traditionally dominated by Russia and increasingly influenced by China.
The airbase was also used in 2021 to evacuate Indian nationals and officials from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.
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