From 30 September to 11 October, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana (Office) organized an advanced Training of Trainers, for a group of ten new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (hereinafter - UAV) instructors of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee Border Service in Lenger, Turkistan province. With the Office's support, the Border Service established a Centre of Excellence for UAV operations in Lenger, where future capacity-building activities are planned to be held with the OSCE's support.
This training event marks the beginning of a series of support activities aimed to strengthen the development of aerial monitoring capabilities of the Border Service in combating the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons (hereinafter - SALW) and explosives across Kazakhstan's "green borders" - i.e., areas between official border control points, often covered with vegetation or only remotely accessible.
The ability to monitor these areas effectively is crucial for ensuring national security, preventing and countering illicit cross-border activities, making the training event for UAV instructors a vital step in ensuring sustainable border security management and national ownership. Based on the OSCE's accumulated experience in the use of UAVs, including their use within the framework of the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (March 2014 - March 2022), the Office aims to assist Kazakhstan's authorities in ground monitoring by means of advanced technology.
Jaroslaw Kurek, Project Manager at the Office, noted during the opening of the training event that "together with partners from Kazakhstan's Border Service we have launched today the UAV Centre of Excellence in Lenger. It is a milestone for our co-operation within the framework of our work on countering the trafficking of small arms and light weapons. By handing over specialized equipment and knowledge sharing, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana provides critical advisory support in establishing sustainable UAV operations of the Border Service".
During the two-weeks long training event, OSCE-supported experts shared their expertise on UAV technology, air navigation principles, aviation meteorology, flight planning, operational strategies, mapping, and post-flight procedures. Practical exercises with small fixed-wing and quadcopter UAVs were conducted both during day and night settings, as well as in conditions of limited visibility. UAV flight simulators were also employed, with the Office providing critical technical support by handing over specialized ICT equipment and two training UAVs for use in the classrooms and practical training area of the Centre.
Yuri Fenopetov, Acting Head of Office ad interim, highlighted during the closing ceremony: "we have heeded the request of our national partners in tackling evolving security challenges of today. It is with pleasure that, in line with our mandate, we can launch the active phase of our co-operation, here, in Lenger. The Centre of Excellence will serve as a platform for future generations of border service officers - to attain the necessary skills and knowledge in ensuring the sustainable use of new technologies when safeguarding the country's borders. As the OSCE, we are ready to continue this support with concrete steps, hand-in-hand with our partners".
In line with recommendations of the OSCE's Technical Assessment Report on "Development of UAV monitoring capabilities for the Border Service of the Republic of Kazakhstan", the Office will continue to provide advisory support in establishing sustainable UAV operations. This includes drafting regulations, developing a training centre concept, and creating a UAV service and maintenance plan for 2024-2030.
This activity was held within the framework of the Office's extrabudgetary project "Addressing Contemporary Safety and Security Risks in the Republic of Kazakhstan", supported by the government of Federal Republic of Germany.
