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Kazakhstan's Arms Business Taking Off

May 10, 2012 | Pulitzer Center
By
Joshua Kucera, for the Pulitzer Center, Kazakhstan

Kazakh army officers relax at KADEX, the military's exposition in Astana. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

The image of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, in military dress, looks down on the proceedings at KADEX. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev arrives to watch the demonstration of Kazakhstan's armed forces at KADEX. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

A Kazakhstani soldier fires from a Humvee during a demonstration of Kazakhstan's armed forces at KADEX. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

A Kazakhstan military band performs at KADEX. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

A Tajikistan military band performs at KADEX. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

Helicopters carry the Kazakhstan flag during a demonstration of Kazakhstan's armed forces at KADEX. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

Kazakhstan war planes fly in formation during the demonstration of Kazakhstan's armed forces at KADEX. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

Airbus's C-295 military transport plane, on display at KADEX. Kazakhstan plans to buy eight of the aircraft for its armed forces. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

Kazakhs pose in one of their country's Mi-6 helicopters. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

A booth for Brahmos, a Russian-Indian missile-producing joint venture, advertising at KADEX. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

Kazakhs pose with one of their country's armed forces' T-72 tanks, on display at KADEX. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

The Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering factory, being built next to the Astana military airfield. Image by Joshua Kucera. Kazakhstan, 2012.

Kazakhstan has ambitious plans to beef up its military, and Western defense contractors are more than willing to oblige. Buyers and sellers gatehered together at the recent defense expo, KADEX. In addition to buying new weapons, Kazakhstan also hopes to manufacture them.