Security

Exercise Steppe Eagle prepares Kazakhstani peace-keepers for crises

Kazakhstani soldiers are gaining 'invaluable experience' during Exercise Steppe Eagle, say observers.

By Alexander Bogatik

2017-08-17

Troops from Kazakhstan's Kazbat and Kazbrig peace-keeping units participate in Exercise Steppe Eagle. [Pavel Mikheyev]

Exercise Steppe Eagle participants question "a local resident" to determine the situation in a town. Troops drilled in mock peace-keeping bases and refugee camps. [Pavel Mikheyev]

Troops learned to guard a peace-keeping base, go on patrol, set up roadblocks and escort humanitarian shipments, NATO official Brig. Gen. Jan Toft (Denmark) told Caravanserai after participating in Steppe Eagle. [Pavel Mikheyev]

Kazakhstani forces advance during Operation Steppe Eagle. Instructors came from Kazakhstan, the UK and US. [Pavel Mikheyev]

Troops during Operation Steppe Eagle confront hypothetical young radicals who throw stones and Molotov cocktails. [Pavel Mikheyev]

Soldiers with riot gear confront hypothetical radicals who are hurling hubcaps at them. [Pavel Mikheyev]

Hypothetical radicals battle troops during Operation Steppe Eagle. The training enabled Kazakhstani peace-keepers to participate in UN and NATO operations, Aleksei Juravov, a Shymkent veteran, told Caravanserai. [Pavel Mikheyev]

Peace-keepers learn to assist a wounded comrade. [Pavel Mikheyev]

ALMATY -- A recent multi-national exercise in Kazakhstan is helping cement its security co-operation with other countries, say observers.

Exercise Steppe Eagle is "a key link in preparing Kazakhstani troops for peace-keeping", Defence Minister Saken Zhasuzakov said at the exercise's August 4 closing ceremony, according to his ministry.

Steppe Eagle has taken place annually since 2003, and since 2012 as part of NATO's Partnership for Peace Programme. This year, training occurred March 31-April 11 and July 22-August 4 at Illisky Training Centre in Almaty Province.

Other participating countries included Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, the UK and the US.

Kazakhstani troops participate in Operation Steppe Eagle August 3 at Illisky Training Centre in Almaty Province. Participants learned how to conduct peace-keeping operations. [Pavel Mikheyev]

The drill's main goal is "preparing to conduct peace-keeping operations and to react to local conflicts and various crises", Zhambyl political analyst Ruslan Seksenbayev told Caravanserai.

Kazakhstan is planning to "increase the number of its military observers and peace-keepers on UN peace-keeping missions", said Zhasuzakov at the closing ceremony..

"The exercise permits [Kazakhstani] government agencies to develop a common approach to planning, organising and conducting UN and NATO operations," according to a Defence Ministry statement.

Kazakhstani troops during Steppe Eagle "had an outstanding chance to share experience with professionals from other countries", said Seksenbayev. "This represents invaluable experience for our peacemakers."