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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 Bishkek ( ky, Бишкек), ), formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of ...
, 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. The base was opened in December 2001 to support U.S. military operations in the
War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...
. 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. Powers such as Russia and China had been pushing for the closure of the base since 2005. 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. 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 $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". All U.S. forces vacated the base in early June 2014, at which time control of the base was handed over to Kyrgyz authorities. The U.S. lease officially expired in July 2014.


Name

The installation was initially named after New York Fire Department Chief Peter J. Ganci, Jr., who was killed in the 11 September terrorist attack. The all-ranks club/recreation center on base was known as "Pete's Place" in his honor. Shortly after the U.S. Air Force had used the name "Ganci", it was found that an
Air Force Instruction An Air Force Instruction (AFI) is a documented instruction for members of the United States Air Force intended for use by active duty, guard, and reserve members and associated civilians. It is one of many forms of directives published by the Air F ...
 (AFI) dictated that non-U.S. air bases could not bear the name of any U.S. citizens (the former
Clark Air Base Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located west of Angeles City, about northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was previously a United States military facility, operated by the U.S. Air For ...
in the Philippines pre-dated this instruction). Since that time the air base has been officially called Manas Air Base, after the name of Manas International Airport where it is located. The name "Manas" refers to the
Epic of Manas The Epic of Manas ( ky, Манас дастаны, Manas dastanı, ماناس دستانی), is a traditional epic poem dating to the 18th century but claimed by Kyrgyz tradition to be much older. Manas is said to be based on Bars Bek who was t ...
, a world-renowned
Kyrgyz Kyrgyz, Kirghiz or Kyrgyzstani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Kyrgyzstan *Kyrgyz people *Kyrgyz national games *Kyrgyz language *Kyrgyz culture *Kyrgyz cuisine *Yenisei Kirghiz *The Fuyü Gïrgïs language in Northeastern China ...
epic poem. The facility was renamed "Transit Center at Manas" following a new agreement between the U.S. and Kyrgyz governments, signed in June 2009. Most English-language sources, however, continue to refer to it as "Manas Air Base".


History

The center opened on 16 December 2001.


Operation Enduring Freedom

In December 2001, the 86th Contingency Response Group out of Ramstein Air Base in Germany arrived at Manas to open the airfield for military use as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S.
close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
aircraft deployed there included U.S. Air Force F-15Es and U.S. Marine Corps
F-18 The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twin-engine, supersonic, carrier-capable, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft (hence the F/A designation). Designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part ...
s. In February 2002, a detachment of
French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army ...
Dassault Mirage 2000D The Dassault Mirage 2000N is a variant of the Mirage 2000 designed for nuclear strike. It formed the core of the French air-based strategic nuclear deterrent. The Mirage 2000D is its conventional attack counterpart. Development The Mirage ...
ground attack aircraft and KC-135 air-refueling tankers deployed to Manas in support of ground forces in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. In March of the same year, the
Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
stationed two B707 air-to-air refueling aircraft at the base. It was also deployed an C-130 Norwegian in early 2002 which were withdrawn in October 2002 when a tri-national detachment, known as European Participating Airforces (EPAF) of a total of 18 F-16s, 6 from the
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
, 6 from the Dutch and 6 from the Norwegian F-16 multirole aircraft took the place of the Mirages. Support for the new aircraft came in the form of one Netherlands
KDC-10 The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is an American aerial refueling tanker aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). A military version of the three-engine DC-10 airliner, the KC-10 was developed from the Advanced Tanker Cargo A ...
tanker, and several American KC-135s, which remain assigned to this day. At the same time it was deployed two Spanish Superpuma rescue helicopter from the Army Aviation and at least 2 Spanish C-130s. Several of the servicemen from this unit were killed in an air crash on their way home from the base.


ISAF support

In September 2004, the Royal Netherlands Air Force again returned with 5x F-16 fighter/bomber to provide Close Air Support (CAS) for the ISAF mission, which now encompassed both Kabul and Northern Afghanistan. To supplement the small availability of tanker aircraft, a RNLAF KDC-10 was also deployed which flew regularly to supply Dutch F-16s with fuel. At that time, the Spanish Airforce was also giving support with a single C-130. The Dutch, commanded by LtCol Bob "Body" Verkroost, remained until the presidential elections of 9 October 2004 elected Hamid Karzai as president of Afghanistan. The last F-16 mission was flown on 19 November 2004 at which time the F-16s were withdrawn to their homebase of Volkel Airbase in the Netherlands, while the KDC-10 flew the personnel back to
Eindhoven Airport Eindhoven Airport is an airport located west of Eindhoven, Netherlands. In terms of the number of served passengers it is the second largest airport in the Netherlands, with 6.2 million passengers in 2018 (well behind Schiphol, which serves mo ...
. The Dutch returned with F-16s to the Afghan theatre in 2005 but at that time began operating out of Kabul Airport.


Tulip Revolution

The
Tulip Revolution The Tulip Revolution or First Kyrgyz Revolution (russian: Тюльпановая революция; ky, Жоогазын революциясы) led to President of Kyrgyzstan Askar Akayev's fall from power. The revolution began after parliame ...
of March 2005 led to the toppling of Kyrgyz president
Askar Akayev Askar Akayevich Akayev ( ky, Аскар Акаевич (Акай уулу) Акаев, translit=Askar Akayevich (Akay Uulu) Akayev ; ; born 10 November 1944) is a Kyrgyz politician who served as President of Kyrgyzstan from 1990 until being ov ...
. However, American and allied personnel did not find themselves disrupted or affected, according to international news reports. One military member even indicated, "It's been business as usual...We did not miss a single flight." In April 2006, Kyrgyzstan's new president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, threatened to expel U.S. troops if the United States would not agree by 1 June to pay more for stationing forces in the Central Asian nation. He later withdrew this threat. On 6 September 2006, U.S. Air Force officer Maj. Jill Metzger went missing after being separated from her group while visiting a shopping center in Bishkek. She was found three days later in the nearby city of Kant. After an Air Force investigation, it was confirmed in February 2012 that Metzger had indeed been kidnapped as she had claimed.


December 2006 shooting

On 6 December 2006, U.S. serviceman Zachary Hatfield fatally shot Alexander Ivanov, a Kyrgyz civilian, at a truck checkpoint at the base. A statement from the base stated the airman "used deadly force in response to a threat at an entry control checkpoint". Ivanov, a truck driver for Aerocraft Petrol Management, was waiting to finish the security check before proceeding into the U.S.-controlled area. According to a base spokesman, "As the airman approached the tent, the driver physically threatened him with a knife which was discovered at the scene. The airman drew his 9mm weapon and fired in self-defense." Hatfield fired two shots into Ivanov's chest, killing him. The killing drew widespread condemnation from Kyrgyz authorities and they quickly demanded that Hatfield's immunity from local prosecution be revoked. In the meantime, U.S. authorities agreed to have Hatfield remain in Kyrgyzstan until the matter is resolved. Another issue to come out of the shooting was that of the compensation offered to Ivanov's family. His employer offered the family $50,000 while the U.S. government offered only around $2,000. Galina Skripkina, a lawyer representing Ivanov's widow, described the U.S. offer as "humiliating" and said that if it was not increased the family would take legal action. However, the U.S. embassy stated that this amount was an interim payment and that final compensation would be determined once the investigation into the shooting was concluded. More detailed data about the hearings on the Hatfield case were published in late December 2010 via the web site Russian Reporter, which issued a series of dispatches from the State Department and U.S. embassies, supposedly originating from the WikiLeaks archive. "Junior Sergeant Hatfield was subject to severe administrative measures against him, which will have long-term effects and negatively affect his career," the dispatch stated though criminal charges against Hatfield never went to a military court. According to the dispatch, the officer authorized to initiate court-martial was General Arthur Lichte, a commander at the airbase, who, "after reviewing the report of the Article 32 investigation and considering the advice of his staff judge advocate...dismissed the charge against SrA Hatfield," the dispatch states. It said that Lichte had ruled for a non-prosecution based "on his own professional and impartial judgment of the facts of the case and the evidence that was available." The paper reports that Lichte was given the power of referral because he was not previously involved in the investigation of the case, nor in the chain of command relating to Hatfield.


2009 threat of closure and restructuring

On 3 February 2009, Kyrgyzstan's President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced that Manas Air Base would soon be closed. A bill calling for the closure of the base and the eviction of U.S. forces was passed by the
Kyrgyz parliament The Supreme Council ( ky, Жогорку Кеңеш, Zhogorku Kengesh, ; russian: Верховный Совет, ''Verkhovny Sovet'') is the unicameral Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic. It was known as the Supreme Soviet of the Kirghiz Soviet So ...
by a vote of 78 to one on 19 February 2009. The following day, 20 February, an official eviction notice was delivered to the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, according to the Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The news of the base's closure followed the announcement of a new agreement between Russia and Kyrgyzstan in which Kyrgyzstan will receive $2 billion in loans and $150 million in financial aid from Russia. Most observers see the two events as connected, and believe that Russian financial assistance was offered on the condition that U.S. forces were expelled from Kyrgyzstan. As of 2009, the U.S. government provided $150 million in aid annually to Kyrgyzstan. According to General David Petraeus, head of
U.S. Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Tas ...
, around $63 million of that sum is directly connected to the base. The larger Russian package is viewed by some analysts as an effort to "out-bid" the Americans. Referring to the closure of Manas Air Base, Pentagon spokesman Geoff S. Morrell directly accused Russia of "attempting to undermine mericanuse of that facility". U.S. Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was originally appointed by president George W. Bush a ...
also said that, "The Russians are trying to have it both ways with respect to Afghanistan in terms of Manas. On one hand you're making positive noises about working with us in Afghanistan, and on the other hand you're working against us in terms of that airfield which is clearly important to us." However Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev ( rus, links=no, Дмитрий Анатольевич Медведев, p=ˈdmʲitrʲɪj ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ mʲɪdˈvʲedʲɪf; born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician who has been serving as the dep ...
distanced his country from the announcement, saying that it was "within the competence of the Kyrgyz Republic" to decide how the Manas base functioned. On 23 June 2009 a new deal was reached between the U.S. and Kyrgyz governments. It was ratified by the Kyrgyz parliament two days later, and signed into law by President Bakiyev on 7 July. Under the terms of the new agreement, U.S. payment for use of the facilities will increase from $17.1 million to $60 million. An additional $117 million will be given to the Kyrgyz government, including $36 million for upgrading the airport with additional storage facilities and aircraft parking, $21 million for fighting drug trafficking in the country, and $20 million for economic development. The facility's official title also was altered under the new agreement. Instead of being referred to as "Manas Air Base", it became the "Transit Center at Manas International Airport". According to a Kyrgyz government spokesman, the facility will officially cease to be an air base in August 2009, after which point its legal status would be altered to a logistic center. Additionally, security around the base will now be handled by Kyrgyz personnel, as opposed to American servicemen. Several local political observers believe that despite the changes in the new agreement, activities at the base will continue unaltered, and in fact, as of March 2010, operations continue. In March 2010 the United States transported 50,000 NATO soldiers to Afghanistan via Kyrgyzstan as it represents the quickest and most efficient route. The new agreement does not appear to restrict the kind of materials U.S. forces can move into and out of the base. There have, however, been some concerns as to whether Russia and China will lobby the Kyrgyz government not to renew the lease when the current agreement comes to an end in June 2010. According to
Bill Gertz William D. Gertz (born March 28, 1952) is an American editor, columnist and reporter for ''The Washington Times''. He is the author of eight books and writes a weekly column on the Pentagon and national security issues called "Inside the Ring". Du ...
, US State Department officials reportedly overheard that China had asked the government of Kyrgyzstan to close the base to U.S. use in return for $3 billion in cash (a sum equal to a tenth of all Chinese foreign aid given from 1950–2009). According to Gertz, the Chinese ambassador to Kyrgyzstan subsequently denied to the U.S. ambassador that the covert cash offer had been made.


2010 Kyrgyzstan revolution

On 6 April 2010 a second revolution took place. The transit center itself saw few mishaps during the revolution. The 376th Expeditionary Security Forces and augmentees were initially called to combat duty when a Kyrgyz military armored personnel carrier (APC) was taken from a National Guard facility in Bishkek by revolutionaries was driven to the transit center with the intent to enter the base and stop any fleeing members of the former government. Small arms fire erupted in several locations around the base to include the flight line. The base commander Colonel Holt had all armed combat units and those that were transiting to or from Afghanistan in combat posture to defend the transit center.


Closure

On 8 November 2011, newly elected President
Almazbek Atambayev Almazbek Sharshen uluu Atambayev ( ky, Алмазбек Шаршен уулу Атамбаев, translit=Almazbek Şarşen uulu Atambayev; born 17 September 1956) is a Kyrgyz politician who served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 1 December 2 ...
announced that he would attempt to close the base when its lease runs out in 2014. In September 2012, Atambayev repeated his view that "Manas should be a civil airport" which "should not be a military base for any country". He reaffirmed his stance that starting from 2014, Manas airport will only be used to transport passengers. In 2014, American military flights began to fly out of
Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport Mihail Kogălniceanu Airport is situated in southeastern Romania, in the commune of Mihail Kogălniceanu, north-northwest of Constanța. It is the main airport of the Northern Dobruja region and provides access to Constanța County, the Port o ...
, Romania instead of Manas.


Incidents and accidents

* On 26 September 2006, a USAF KC-135R, ''63-8886'', was damaged beyond economical repair when it was struck by a Tupolev Tu-154 of Altyn Air, ''EX-85718'', while stopped on a taxiway after landing at Manas Airbase. The Tu-154 was taking off and its right wing struck the fairing of the KC-135R No. 1 engine. The force of the impact nearly severed the No. 1 engine, but destroyed a portion of the left wing and the resulting fire caused extensive damage to the KC-135. The Tu-154 lost about of its right wingtip, but was able to get airborne and return to the airport for an emergency landing. The tanker crew had been directed to use Taxiway Golf, a taxiway which was not usable for night operations, and the controller failed to note that they reported "holding short" of that taxiway, rather than "clear of" the runway at that point. Both a contractor safety liaison employed by the U.S. Air Force and the air traffic control tower personnel failed to note that the KC-135 was not clear of the runway prior to clearing the Tu-154 for takeoff. The crew of the KC-135 evacuated the aircraft without serious injuries. * On 3 May 2013, a
Fairchild AFB Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base, located in the northwest United States in eastern Washington, approximately southwest of Spokane. The host unit at Fairchild is the 92nd Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW) assigned ...
, WA air crew flying a McConnell AFB, KS (USAF) KC-135R, ''63-8877'', crashed about 8 minutes after taking off from Manas Airbase in Kyrgyzstan, killing three crew members. The aircraft was at cruise altitude about 200 km west of
Bishkek Bishkek ( ky, Бишкек), ), formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of ...
when it lost altitude and crashed in a mountainous area near the village of Chorgolu, close to the border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Videotape evidence seems to indicate that the fuselage was in flames as it descended from the clouds overhead, although the tail and some wreckage (left wing, vertical stabilizer, one engine, boom and boom drogue adapter) were not blackened by fire and landed some distance away. This may indicate an inflight explosion or structural failure, possibly related to thunderstorms in the area. Ultimately, the mishap board determined that a rudder system malfunction contributed to development of oscillatory instability, known as " Dutch roll." The aircrew did not adequately diagnose the problem and, by using rudder to maintain course, contributed to structural failure of the aircraft. Although one of the last -135 aircraft built, this airframe was 48 years and 10 months old at the time of its loss.


See also

*
Kant Air Base Kant Air Base (russian: Авиабаза Кант ''Aviabaza Kant'') is a military air base in Ysyk-Ata District of Chüy Region in Kyrgyzstan. It is located just south of Kant, around 20 km east of Bishkek and is home to the Russian Air Force ...
*
Karshi-Khanabad Air Base Karshi-Khanabad, better known as K2, is an air base in southeastern Uzbekistan, just east of Karshi. It is home to the 60th Separate Mixed Aviation Brigade of the Uzbek Air Force. History From 1954 to 1981, the 735th Fighter Aviation Regimen ...
* New Great Game


References


External links


Transit Center at Manas
Official Air Force site

Defense Department News
Mina Group Companies
Mina Group Companies Fuel Supply to Manas {{DEFAULTSORT:Transit Center at Manas Installations of the United States Air Force Overseas or abroad military installations Buildings and structures in Kyrgyzstan by type Military installations Chüy Region War on terror Buildings and structures completed in 2001 2001 establishments in Kyrgyzstan