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, 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 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, 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