Central Asia encompasses vast areas that are virtually inaccessible. This includes huge segments of national borders, called “green borders,” between official border control points. These remote borders, often covered by vegetation, are frequently targeted by drug and weapons smugglers. Seeking to provide better security on hundreds of kilometers of such borders, the Border Service of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan is partnering with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to enlist unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in its mission. In January 2025, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana proposed developing a UAV Training Centre of Excellence…
Unipath
Lebanon shares a 396-kilometer border with Syria that long has been a cause of instability due to overlapping and unmarked boundaries in many areas. Smugglers moved weapons and narcotics through several unofficial points, and Syrian illegal immigrants flocked into Lebanon after the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2011. Taking advantage of regime change in Syria, the recently formed Lebanese government is striving to improve security on its border. Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa met Syrian counterpart Murhaf Abu Qasra in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in March 2025. The talks, facilitated by Saudi Minister of Defense His Royal Highness Prince Khalid…
Troops from Tajikistan and the Virginia National Guard have enjoyed a productive 22-year partnership through the U.S. National Guard’s State Partnership Program. The partners have conducted more than 200 military-to-military engagements to counter terrorism, deter violent extremism, improve emergency response and promote shared values in national sovereignty and security. Engagements continued in February 2025 when Virginia Soldiers and Airmen conducted an exchange with Tajik forces that focused on noncommissioned officer and junior officer development. The five-day exchange included Tajik participants from the Ministry of Defense, Border Guards and National Guard. The training stressed professional growth aimed at developing critical thinking…
Since its defeat in Iraq in September 2017 at the hands of Iraqi and Coalition forces, the Daesh terrorist organization has been trying to regroup and activate its fugitive remnants. Iraqi forces, in conjunction with Coalition forces, continue pursuing the group’s remnants across Iraq and Syria, killing and capturing many and forcing others to hide in remote rugged mountains and deserts. In March 2025, Iraqi authorities announced an airstrike that killed Abdullah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, also known as Abu Khadijah, a key Daesh leader, describing him as one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world. Daesh’s second-most senior decision-maker,…
On March 13, 2025, in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed an agreement to resolve a decades-long dispute over border demarcation and the control of water resources. Both countries’ parliaments ratified the deal a week later. For many months, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan worked to settle their differences peacefully to the benefit of the people of both countries and those of the entire region. The talks, which Kyrgyz national security chief Kamchybek Tashiev described as “very difficult,” bore fruit. Tashiev and his Tajik counterpart, Saimumin Yatimov, signed a protocol on…
Counterterrorism cooperation between Pakistan and the United States has a long history. That cooperation remains strong, as highlighted by Pakistan’s recent capture of Mohammad Sharifullah, an Islamic State Khorasan Province terrorist wanted for planning the August 2021 suicide bombing attack at Kabul airport in Afghanistan. The Pakistan military captured Sharifullah in a February 2025 operation along the border with Afghanistan after receiving an intelligence tip on his location from the U.S. and extradited him to face criminal charges. In March 2025, the terrorist was charged in U.S. Federal Court with helping to plan the attack at the Abbey Gate entrance…
Egypt and Bahrain enjoy close relations based on a common understanding of security requirements in the region. The two countries have developed consistent and comprehensive bilateral policies to strengthen regional security and maintain sustainable growth in the best interests of their peoples. The military aspect of the relationship includes interoperability and unification of concepts through bilateral and joint training and exercises, as well as exchanges of military personnel to acquaint them with the capability improvement programs and plans of each other’s armed forces. To this end, a delegation from the Egyptian Military Academy, Higher College of Warfare, visited the Royal…
Oman’s strategic position and its coastline that extends more than 3,000 kilometers along the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea make it a major supporter of maritime security. Realizing that one hand can’t clap, the country combines efforts with those of regional and global partners to enhance maritime security, trade and environmental sustainability on those three bodies of water. It was among the first nations to join the multinational naval partnership Combined Maritime Forces, the Bahrain-based partnership founded in 2002. The Sultanate also works closely with the United States to ensure freedom of navigation in the…
Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has made military modernization his country’s primary goal in 2025. The emergent Turkmen military, 40,000 strong according to the Global Fire Power Index, is becoming a regional power and already has the largest tank corps in Central Asia. Turkmenistan is investing in better training, equipment, weapons, accommodations and increased salaries for military service members. During a session of the country’s State Security Council in January 2025, Berdimuhamedov emphasized the “critical role” of the military in “maintaining the nation’s security and stability.” “Turkmenistan is rapidly expanding and modernizing its military to allow Ashgabat to defend itself against…
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), long a major contributor to defense technology in support of peace and security throughout the world, has become a global hub where multinational corporations specializing in defense industries gather to showcase products to address security challenges. In February 2025, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in the UAE hosted the 2025 International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX), alongside the Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX). IDEX/NAVDEX drew 1,556 exhibitors from 65 countries, which is 16% more than the previous iteration. Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee of IDEX/NAVDEX, Maj. Gen. Pilot Faris Khalaf Al…