US confirms transfer and training of Kazakh Raven UAVs
Lightweight and simple to operate, the Raven is rucksack portable and can be hand-launched for day or night observation. (Image: Aerovironment)
The US Embassy to Kazakhstan revealed it had transferred Raven UAVs to Kazakhstan and trained the border guard in their use.
The US Embassy to Kazakhstan revealed last Wednesday on Twitter that it had completed training with the Kazakh Border Guard for operating AeroVironment Raven UAVs.
The Kazakh Border Guard will operate the RQ-11s to assist in monitoring Kazakhstan’s borders, which it shares with five nations: China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The quantity, value and specific type (RQ-11A or RQ-11B) of the UAVs have not been disclosed.
The Raven B, also known as RQ-11, is a UAV that provides a low-altitude ISR capability for commercial and military applications with line-of-sight ranges of up to 10km.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, More than 20,000 Raven UAVs are in service worldwide in service with 18 confirmed international customers, and many more rumoured.
US interests in the Central Asian region have declined following the withdrawal from Afghanistan, although many nations in the region still represent valued non-allied partners.
In 2018 Uzbekistan received four RQ-11 Ravens from the US and in 2020 Kazakhstan and the US agreed on a contract valued at $128 million for the sale of King Air B300ER Scorpion aircraft.
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