DUSHANBE, May 14, 2014, Asia-Plus – In the future, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan plan to join the Kazakhstan-Russia joint air defense system, Kazakh Deputy Defense Minister, Okas Saparov was quoted by Nezavisimaya Gazeta as saying at an enlarged session of the Kazakh Senate Committee for International Relations, Defense and Security in Astana on May 13.  

According to Russian news agency Interfax , Saparov noted that the main goal of creating a joint air defense system of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation would be to protect the airspace of the two states and defend their territorial integrity and independence.   

Saparov made his remarks as the Committee debated a bill ratifying the Russian-Kazakh agreement to build the two countries'' Joint Regional Air Defense Shield.

Saparov confirmed that the planned shield would be used only in times of war.

“In times of peace, the Joint Air Defense Shield will fulfill only its routine duties and will be controlled by the national command centers.  In times of war, it will tackle combat tasks under the control of one commander,” Saparov said.

The command center of the Joint Air Defense Shield is expected to be placed in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and its commander will be a Kazakh representative, Interfax reports.