| Transit Center at Manas (Manas Air Base) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sokuluk District, Chüy Region Near Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan | |||||||
 A US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III assigned to the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Detachment 1 departs the Transit Center Manas during March 2014. The flight signified the end of the airlift mission into Afghanistan from the base. | |||||||
  Manas Location in Kyrgyzstan | |||||||
| Coordinates | 43°03′01″N 74°28′10″E / 43.050278°N 74.469444°E | ||||||
| Type | Air Force base | ||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Kyrgyzstan Government | ||||||
| Operator | Kyrgyz Air Force | ||||||
| Condition | Converted to military logistics command | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 2001 | ||||||
| In use | 16 December 2001 – 3 June 2014 (12 years, 5 months) | ||||||
| Fate | Returned to Kyrgyz control | ||||||
| Events | War in Afghanistan | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: FRU, ICAO: UCFM, WMO: 382200 | ||||||
| Elevation | 637 metres (2,090 ft) AMSL | ||||||
| |||||||
| Airfield shared with Manas International Airport. Source: AIP Kyrgyzstan[1] | |||||||
Transit Center at Manas (formerly Manas Air Base and unofficially Ganci Air Base) is a former U.S. military installation at Manas International Airport, near Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. It was primarily operated by the U.S. Air Force. The primary unit at the base was the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing. On 3 June 2014 American troops vacated the base and it was handed over back to the Kyrgyzstan military.[2]
The base was opened in December 2001 to support U.S. military operations in the War in Afghanistan. The base was a transit point for U.S. military personnel coming from and going to Afghanistan. Recreation facilities included internet cafes, wireless internet, pool tables, free video games, and telephone lines via the DSN that allowed coalition forces to call their homes at little or no cost. The base had a large dining facility, a gymnasium, and a chapel. There was also a library where books and magazines were available for active duty airmen. It also hosted forces from several other International Security Assistance Force member states.
Several events, such as the shooting of a local civilian and rumors of fuel dumping, had led to strained relations with some of the local population.[3] Powers such as Russia and China had been pushing for the closure of the base since 2005.[4]
In February 2009, the Kyrgyz Parliament voted to close the base after the two governments failed to agree on a higher rent for the property.[5][6][7] American and Kyrgyz officials continued negotiations after the announcement, and on 23 June a tentative agreement was reached. Under the new arrangement, the United States will pay[8] $200 million, three times the previous rent, for continued use of the facilities. Before the handover to the Kyrgyz military, Kyrgyz forces handled security in the areas surrounding the facility, while American forces provided security for the facility, and the site was then called a "transit center" instead of an "air base".[9]
All U.S. forces vacated the base in early June 2014, at which time control of the base was handed over to Kyrgyz authorities.[10][11] The U.S. lease officially expired in July 2014.[12]
- ^ AIP Kyrgyzstan
- ^ Joshua Kucera. "U.S. Formally Closes Its Kyrgyzstan Air Base". Eurasianet. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ Kucera, Joshua (4 December 2007). "US Armed Forces Try to Win Hearts and Minds". EurasiaNet.
- ^ Kimmage, Daniel (9 July 2005). "SCO: Shoring Up the Post-Soviet Status Quo". EurasiaNet.
- ^ Pronina, Lyubov (3 February 2009). "Kyrgyzstan to Close U.S. Air Base Used for Afghan War". Bloomberg.
- ^ Blomfield, Adrian (4 February 2009). "US troops ordered out of Kyrgyzstan after Russia deal". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
- ^ "Kyrgyz MPs vote to shut US base". BBC News. 19 February 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
- ^ [1] Archived 4 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Schwirtz, Michael (23 June 2009). "In Reversal, Kyrgyzstan Won't Close a U.S. Base". The New York Times.
- ^ Stobdan, P. (9 July 2014). "US Military Departure From Manas: Stirring New Game in Central Asia". Eurasia Review. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ Abdurasulov, Abdujalil (19 June 2014). "Kyrgyzstan happy to drop hot political potato". BBC News.
- ^ "Agreement with the United States on placing Manas Transit Center on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic terminated officially". 24.kg News Agency. 11 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.