Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Kazakhstan's President, Commander-in-Chief Nursultan Nazarbayev has opened the first military parade in the history of Kazakhstan at the 40th military base Otar.

Nazarbayev said speaking at the ceremony that this year the Day of Motherland Defenders is celebrated as a public holiday for the first time.

On this day, 7,000 servicemen, more than 400 armored vehicles and automotive equipment, more than 80 aircraft and helicopters are involved in the parade.

Army units demonstrated their skills in tactics and the application of modern weapons which are in the arsenal of the ground and air defense forces. Also, vessels of the Kazakh Navy in the Caspian Sea conducted combat firing which was broadcast live.

The ground forces and air defense forces implemented real missile launching, bomb-release, and demonstrated firing from all types of weapons. Zhetisu and Sunkar piloting groups performed maneuvers.

The large-scale potential of Airbus aircraft C-295 was shown. Also, the C-125 missile defense system carried out launch of air defense missiles.

Tochka-U tactical missile systems, Grad and Prima multiple launch missile systems, MSTA-B and D-30 howitzer weapons, Solntsepek heavy flame systems, Shturm-S antitank missile systems, T-72B tanks, BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, and BMPT tank support combat vehicles were demonstrated at the military parade as well.

Special forces implemented tasks in Cobra and Hammer military vehicles.

First Deputy Defense Minister, Chief of Staff of the Kazakh Armed Forces, Saken Zhasuzakov, said on the eve of the Day of Motherland Defenders that this military parade was being held for the first time in the history of Kazakhstan as well as in the history of the armed forces.

"We wanted to distinguish it as something unusual. Parades held previously were standard ones, as marching troops were shown in action, without combat use. A military parade is a parade of troops in action with the use of weapons, equipment and ammunition," Zhasuzakov said.