Central Asian Military District

The Red Banner Central Asian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, which existed in 1926–1945 and 1969–1989, with its headquarters at Tashkent and Almaty. By USSR Order No.304 of 4 June 1926, the Turkestan Front was renamed the Central Asian Military District.

1st Formation

On 22 June 1941 the Central Asian Military District included the 4th Cavalry Corps, the 27th Mechanised Corps, the 58th Rifle Corps, and the independent 238th Rifle Division, and district troops, as well as the Air Forces of the Central Asian Military District. Under General Major M.P. Kharitonov, the Air Forces of the CAMD including 4th Aviation Brigade with 34th Bomber Aviation Regiment and 116th Regiment.
As part of the Central Asian Military District, 53rd Army invading Iran was described by the Combat composition of the Soviet Army as including 58th Rifle Corps, 4th Cavalry Corps, 44th Cavalry Division, and 72nd Independent Mountain Rifle Regiment on 1 October 1941.
The 74th and 75th Naval Rifle Brigades were formed in the district after a November–December 1941 People's Commissariat for Defence resolution.
On 9 July 1945, the district was split into the Turkestan and Steppe Military Districts.

2nd Formation

In August 1964, the headquarters of the 18th Guards Army was relocated to Alma-Ata, where it became the operational group of the Turkestan Military District.
Five months after the fighting on Damansky Island, a similar situation repeated on a smaller scale in East Kazakhstan Region Kazakh SSR at Lake Zhalanashkol. The Chinese side lost 19 people killed. Two Soviet border guards were killed.
For this purpose, the leadership of the USSR Armed Forces took the following measures:

In the Kazakh SSR and in the Far East in the 1960s, new military formations were established in the Long-Range Aviation and Strategic Rocket Forces
Formations and units of the 39th Combined Arms Army were introduced into the Mongolian People's Republic

With the Chinese threat growing, a new district was established. The operational group was converted back into the 18th Army on 4 March 1969, but was used to activate the headquarters of the Central Asian Military District on 24 June 1969.
Most of the forces in the district were deployed in the border areas with China. On sections of the border where the natural terrain facilitated the possible advance of the enemy, Fortified Regions were created, which were formations of machine-gun and artillery battalions in stationary positions.
In 1988 the CAMD included the 32nd Army and 17th Army Corps, and troops directly subordinate to district command. The 73rd Air Army provided air support, and air defence duties were carried out by the 12th and 14th Air Defence Armies. The 32nd Army included a tank and three motor rifle divisions, anti-aircraft and missile brigades, artillery and rocket regiments, separate Flame-tank regiment, and others. The 17th Army Corps included the 8th Guards Motor Rifle Division, the 68th Motor Rifle Division, the 134th Motor Rifle Division, the 68th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade, a mountain unit, and the 30th independent Motor Rifle Regiment. District units included the 80th Guards Training Motor Rifle Division and cadre artillery, rear defence, and motor-rifle divisions, 5th, 107th, and 108th communications brigades, and the 126th Rocket Brigade of surface-to-surface missiles.
In addition, the 57th Air Assault Brigade was based at Aktogay.
Air units of the district were deployed to Afghanistan.

District forces in 1989

The district was disestablished and its territory incorporated into the Turkestan Military District from 5 January 1989 on. At that time it had the following structure:

Formations and units under direct district subordination

District Command and Headquarters – Alma Ata, Kazakh SSR

Separate Staff Security and Support Battalion – Alma Ata
141st Separate Radio-technical Brigade OsNaz – Chengeldy
27th Radio Intercept Regiment – Tselinograd
5th Separate Signals Brigade of the High Command – Alma Ata
108th Separate Signals Brigade – Taldıqorğan
107th Separate Signals Brigade – Burunday
Separate Signals Battalion for Rear Services Communications – Burunday
57th Separate Landing Assault Brigade – Aktogay
126th Ballistic Missile Brigade – Sary-Ozek
400th Gun Artillery Brigade – Akhtyubinsk
401st Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade
Artillery Reconnaissance Regiment – Jambyl
75th Separate Radio-technical Brigade of the Land Forces' Air Defence – Taldıqorğan
56th Separate Radio-technical Brigade of the Land Forces' Air Defence – Shymkent
111th Engineer Sapper Brigade – Kapchagay
12th Chemical Defence Brigade – Burunday
Material Supply Brigade – Jambyl
Repair and Overhaul Base – Alma Ata
2030th Separate Battalion for Field Water Supply – Kapchagay
210th Guards Military District Training Center, until 1988 the 80th Guards Training Motor Rifle Division – Otar
* Commandant's Company
* 112th Separate Guards Training Signals Battalion
* 55th Guards Venskiy, awarded the Order of Kutuzov III degree and the Order of Alexander Nevsky Training Motor Rifle Regiment
* 66th awarded the Order of Kutuzov and the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky Training Motor Rifle Regiment – Arys
* 372nd Guards Kishinyovskiy, awarded the Order of Suvorov and the Order Kutuzov III degree Training Motor Rifle Regiment
* 127th Guards Ropshinskiy, awarded the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of the Red Star Training Tank Regiment
* 171st Guards Kishinyovskiy, awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky II degree Training Artillery Regiment
* Separate Training Surface-to-Surface Missile Battalion
* Separate Training Anti-Tank Battalion
* 759th Tarnopolskiy Training Air Defence Missile and Artillery Regiment
* Separate Reconnaissance Battalion
* 90th Separate Guards Training Sapper Battalion
* Separate Chemical Defence Battalion
* 445th Separate Repair and Overhaul Battalion
* 589th Separate Medical Battalion
* 725th Separate Material Supply Battalion
269th Motor Rifle Division – Otar
64th Artillery Division – Burunday
236th Division of Rear Area Security – Otar

Ground Forces of the Central Asian Military District

The Ground Forces of the military district consisted of the 32nd CA Army and the 17th Army Corps. At the time of the fusion of the CAMD into the Turkestan Military District in 1989 they consisted of:

32nd Combined Arms Army

32nd Combined Arms Army
Army Command and Headquarters – Semipalatinsk

Separate Staff Security and Support Company – Semipalatinsk
165th Separate SpetsNaz Company of the GRU – Ayagoz
Separate Radio Intercept Battalion – Ust-Kamenogorsk
210th Separate Signals Regiment – Semipalatinsk
450th Separate Helicopter Regiment – Usharal
27th Separate Helicopter Squadron – Semipalatinsk
44th Ballistic Missile Brigade – Semipalatinsk
645th Gun Artillery Regiment – Semipalatinsk
962nd Multiple Launch Rocket Regiment – Ayagoz
935th Artillery Reconnaissance Regiment – Jambyl
272nd Missile Air Defence Brigade – Ayagoz
2101st Separate Radio-technical Battalion of the Air Defence – Semipalatinsk
750th Separate Engineer Sapper Battalion – Semipalatinsk
Separate Mine-laying Engineer Battalion – Ayagoz
634th Separate Engineer Road and Bridge Construction Battalion – Talgar
77th Material Supply Brigade – Semipalatinsk
Repair and Overhaul Base – Ayagoz78th Tank Division – Ayagoz
* 194th Separate Signals Battalion – Ayagoz
* 156th Tank Regiment – Ayagoz
* 180th Tank Regiment – Ayagoz
* 143rd Tank Regiment – Aktogay
* 369th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment – Usharal
* 1062nd Artillery Regiment – Usharal
* 1144th Missile Air Defence Regiment – Aktogay
* 345th Separate Ballistic Missile Battalion – Ayagoz
* 85th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion – Ayagoz
* 103rd Separate Sapper Engineer Battalion – Ayagoz
* 546th Separate Chemical Defence Battalion – Ayagoz
* Separate Repair and Overhaul Battalion – Ayagoz
* Separate Medical Battalion – Aktogay
* Separate Material Supply Battalion – Ayagoz71st Motor Rifle Division – Semipalatinsk
* - -
* Separate Signals Battalion
* Motor Rifle Regiment
* Motor Rifle Regiment
* Motor Rifle Regiment
* 620th Tank Regiment
* Artillery Regiment
* Missile Air Defence Regiment
* Separate Ballistic Missile Battalion
* Separate Anti-Tank Battalion
* 236th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion
* 227th Separate Sapper Engineer Battalion
* 636th Separate Chemical Defence Company
* Separate Repair and Overhaul Battalion
* Separate Medical Battalion
* Separate Material Supply Battalion 155th Motor Rifle Division – Ust-Kamenogorsk
* - -
* 1069th Separate Signals Battalion
* 374th Motor Rifle Regiment
* 511th Motor Rifle Regiment
* 515th Motor Rifle Regiment
* 480th Tank Regiment
* 931st Artillery Regiment
* Missile Air Defence Regiment
* Separate Ballistic Missile Battalion
* Separate Anti-Tank Battalion
* 129th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion
* 1030th Separate Sapper Engineer Battalion
* Separate Chemical Defence Company
* Separate Repair and Overhaul Battalion
* Separate Medical Battalion
* Separate Material Supply Battalion 203rd Motor Rifle Division – Karaganda
* - -
* 582nd Separate Signals Battalion
* 31st Motor Rifle Regiment
* 53rd Motor Rifle Regiment
* 54th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment
* 333rd Tank Regiment
* 449th Artillery Regiment
* Missile Air Defence Regiment
* 970th Separate Ballistic Missile Battalion
* Separate Anti-Tank Battalion
* Separate Reconnaissance Battalion
* 337th Separate Sapper Engineer Battalion
* Separate Chemical Defence Company
* Separate Repair and Overhaul Battalion
* Separate Medical Battalion
* Separate Material Supply Battalion 69th Deep Reserve Tank Division – Ust-Kamenogorsk10th Fortified Area – Horgos

17th Army Corps

17th Army Corps
Corps Command and Headquarters – Frunze

789th Separate Staff Security and Support Company – Frunze
525th Separate SpetsNaz Company – Frunze
Separate Electronic Warfare Battalion – Sary-Ozek unit
342nd Separate Signals Battalion – Frunze
303rd Separate Helicopter Squadron – Dushanbe
30th Separate Motor Rifle Regiment – Rybachye
78th Ballistic Missile Brigade – Ungurtas
13th Gun Artillery Regiment – Sary-Ozek
179th Separate Multiple Rocket Launcher Artillery Battalion – Sary-Ozek
186th Separate Air Defence Missile and Artillery Battalion – Osh
751st Separate Sapper Engineer Battalion – Kapchagay
78th Material Supply Brigade – Frunze
Separate Pack Animals Transport Company – Osh8th Guards Rezhitskaya, awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of Suvorov, named after the Hero of the Soviet Union Major-General I. V. Panfilov – Frunze
* 41st Separate Guards Signal Battalion – Rybachye
* 282nd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment – Frunze
* 4th Motor Rifle Regiment – Rybachye
* 23rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment – Korday
* 50th Guards Tank Regiment – Korday
* 14th Guards Artillery Regiment – Rybachye
* 1059th Guards Air Defence Missile Regiment – Korday
* Separate Ballistic Missile Battalion – Rybachye
* Separate Anti-Tank Battalion – Rybachye
* 793rd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion – Rybachye
* 32nd Separate Guards Sapper Engineer Battalion – Rybachye
* Separate Chemical Defence Company – Rybachye
* 300th Separate Repair and Overhaul Battalion – Korday
* Separate Medical Battalion – Rybachye
* Separate Material Supply Battalion – Rybachye68th Red Banner Novgorodskaya Motor Rifle Division – Sary-Ozek
* 549th Separate Signals Battalion – Sary-Ozek
* 188th Motor Rifle Regiment – Sary-Ozek
* 385th Motor Rifle Regiment – Burunday
* 517th Motor Rifle Regiment – Taldıqorğan
* 310th Tank Regiment – Sary-Ozek
* 343rd Artillery Regiment – Sary-Ozek
* 1164th Air Defence Artillery Regiment – Sary-Ozek
* Separate Ballistic Missile Battalion – Sary-Ozek
* Separate Anti-Tank Battalion – Sary-Ozek
* 106th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion – Burunday
* 227th Separate Sapper Engineer Battalion – Sary-Ozek
* 81st Separate Chemical Defence Battalion – Sary-Ozek
* Separate Repair and Overhaul Battalion – Sary-Ozek
* 8th Separate Medical Battalion – Sary-Ozek
* 395th Separate Material Supply Battalion – Sary-Ozek134th Motor Rifle Division – Dushanbe
* Separate Signals Battalion – Dushanbe
* 92nd Motor Rifle Regiment – Dushanbe
* 806th Motor Rifle Regiment – Bokhtar
* 1208th Motor Rifle Regiment – Kulob
* 401st Tank Regiment – Dushanbe
* Artillery Regiment – Dushanbe
* 990th Air Defence Artillery Regiment – Dushanbe
* Separate Ballistic Missile Battalion – Bokhtar
* Separate Anti-Tank Battalion – Dushanbe
* Separate Reconnaissance Battalion – Dushanbe
* Separate Sapper Engineer Battalion – Dushanbe
* Separate Chemical Defence Company – Dushanbe
* Separate Repair and Overhaul Battalion – Dushanbe
* Separate Medical Battalion – Dushanbe
* Separate Material Supply Battalion – Dushanbe68th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade – Osh

Air Forces of the Central Asian Military District

By Order of the Ministry of Defence of the Soviet Union dating from January 5, 1980 and calling for an increased co-operation between the land and air forces by bringing them together "under common banners" the tactical air forces have effectively become army aviation in their entirety and the previous commanders of the air armies becoming deputy military district commanders in charge of aviation. Correspondingly the 73rd Air Army was transformed into the Air Forces of the Central Asian Military District. This military reform was reversed as counter-productive and in May 1988 the AF CASM were reverted to the 73rd Air Army. It consisted of:
73rd Air Army – Alma Ata

87th Separate Signals and Automatised Command and Control Systems Regiment – Alma Ata
457th Separate Composite Aviation Regiment – Tu-134, Il-20/22, An-12 An-72, An-26, An-24, An-30, Mi-8 – Alma Ata24th Aviation Division of Fighter-Bombers – Taldıqorğan
* 129th Aviation Regiment of Fighter-Bombers – Taldıqorğan – MiG-27/MiG-23UB
* 134th Aviation Regiment of Fighter-Bombers – Zhangiztobe – MiG-27/MiG-23UB
905th Separate Fighter Aviation Regiment – Taldıqorğan – MiG-23MLD
149th Separate Guards Red Banner Bomber Aviation Regiment – Nikolayevka – Su-24
39th Separate Nikopolskiy, awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment – Balkhash – MiG-25RB, Su-24MR
381st Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment – Shymkent – Su-17MR
154th Separate Helicopter Squadron of the Air Force's Search and Rescue Service – Karaganda – Mi-6, Mi-8
82nd Separate Helicopter Search and Rescue Flight – Aralsk - Ми-8 Ми-9 Ми-14 Ми-6
Separate Search and Rescue Aviation Flight – Fort-Shevchenko – Mi-14, Mi-8
Separate Aerostat Squadron – Balkhash – meteorological aerostats

District commanders

1926–1928 — Konstantin Avksentevsky
1928–1933 — Pavel Dybenko
1933–1937 — Komkor Mikhail Velikanov
1937 — Komkor Ivan Gryaznov
1937 — Komandarm 2nd rank Aleksandr Loktionov
1937–1938 — Komkor Leonid Petrovsky
1938–1941 — Komkor Iosif Apanasenko
1941 — General Major Sergei Trofimenko,
1941 — June 1944 — Lieutenant General Pavel Kurbatkin
Jul 1944 – May 1945 — Major General Macarius Lipatov
24 Jun 1969 – 23 Nov 1977 – General of the Army Nikolay Grigorevich Lyashchenko
24 Nov 1977 – 26 Nov 1980 – General Colonel Pyotr Georgievich Lushev
27 Nov 1980 – 26 Jun 1984 General Colonel Dmitri Yazov
27 Jun 1984 – 21 Jan 1987 – Colonel-General Vladimir Nikolaevich Lobov
22 Jan 1987 – 5 Jan 1989 – Colonel-General Aleksandr Vasilevich Kovtunov

Literature

Military Encyclopedic Dictionary, Moscow, 1984, 2002.