Military of Turkmenistan

Armed Forces of Turkmenistan
Coat of Arms of Turkmenistan
Founded	circa 1992
Service branches	Turkmen National Guard Turkmen Ground Forces Turkmen Air Force and Air Defense Forces Turkmen Navy Turkmen Internal Troops Turkmen Border Troops Ministry of Emergency Situations
Headquarters	Galkynysh str.4, Ashkabad[1]
Leadership
President of Turkmenistan	Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
Minister of Defence	Colonel General Agageldi Mametgeldiyev
Manpower
Military age	18[2]
Conscription	24 months (IISS 2012)
Active personnel	22,000 (Army 18,500, Air Force 3,000, Navy 500)
Reserve personnel	formerly 108,000, not since 2007 at least.[3]
Expenditures
Budget	$198 million (FY10) (IISS 2012)
Percent of GDP	3.4% (FY10)[2]
Industry
Foreign suppliers	Russia  China  United States  Turkey  Azerbaijan

The Armed Forces of Turkmenistan (Turkmen: Türkmenistanyň Ýaragly Güýçleri) consists of an Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Troops, and Internal Troops, and a National Guard. After the fall of the Soviet Union, significant elements of the Soviet Armed Forces Turkestan Military District remained on Turkmen soil, including several motor rifle divisions. In June 1992, the new Russian government signed a bilateral defence treaty with Turkmenistan, encouraging the new Turkmen government to create its own armed forces but stipulating that they were to be placed under joint command.^[4]

The Library of Congress Country Studies said that 'the Treaty on Joint Measures signed by Russia and Turkmenistan in July 1992 provided for the Russian Federation to act as guarantor of Turkmenistan's security and made former Soviet army units in the republic the basis of the new national armed forces. The treaty stipulated that, apart from border troops and air force and air defense units remaining under Russian control, the entire armed forces would be under joint command, which would gradually devolve to exclusive command by Turkmenistan over a period of ten years. For a transitional period of five years, Russia would provide logistical support and pay Turkmenistan for the right to maintain special installations, while Turkmenistan would bear the costs of housing, utilities, and administration.'

In 1994, the chief of staff and first deputy minister of defense was Major General Annamurat Soltanov, a career officer who had served in Cuba and Afghanistan; another deputy minister of defense, Major General Begdzhan Niyazov, had been a law enforcement administrator prior to his appointment. Russian commanders included Major General Viktor Zavarzin, chief of staff and first deputy commander of the Separate Combined-Arms Army of Turkmenistan, and commander of the Separate Combined-Arms Army of Turkmenistan and deputy minister of defense Lieutenant General Nikolai Kormiltsev. Russian Major General Vladislav Shunevich served together with Turkmen Major General Akmurad Kabulov as joint commanders of the border troops in the Turkmen Border Guard.

Jane's Information Group said in 2009 that "Turkmenistan's military is, even by the standards of Central Asia, poorly maintained and funded."^[5]

State Security Council

The State Security Council is the most important defence decision-making body in the country.^[6]

The 1995 Law on defence^[7] says that the President of Turkmenistan defines the powers of the Security Council.

The Security Council is mentioned in the 2003 Constitution of Turkmenistan^[8] but not in the 1992 constitution [1], and it's only mentioned that the Security Council is guided by the president.

The Council was chaired by the former President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov until his death, while Minister of Defence Agageldi Mämmetgeldiýew acts as its secretary.^[9]

Following the death of Niyazov, the Security Council announced Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow as his interim successor.^[10]

Ground Forces

Flag of the Turkmen Ground Forces

Military guard of honor during the 20th year of independence in Turkmenistan

Soldier with the flag of the Turkmen Armed Forces

T-72UMG tankman salutes during parade

T-90SA and T-72UMG units

The Turkmen military inherited several motor rifle divisions from the Soviet Armed Forces Turkestan Military District, forming the basis of the Turkmen ground forces. Today the ground forces include the 2nd, 3rd, 11th, and 22nd Motor Rifle Divisions.^[11]

It was reported in January 2007 that on the Caspian Sea and the coastal zone to a depth of 350 kilometers, and on the Turkmen-Iranian border is located about 90% of the Army (22nd Motorized Division on the Caspian coast, 2nd and 3rd motorized divisions on the Turkmen-Iranian border, 11th Motorized Division on the Tajik-Afghan border).^[12]

The military ranks have reverted to traditional names and structure, and are now:

Esger - warrior

Onbashi - leader of 10 (section leader)

Yuzbashi - leader of 100 (junior officer)

Munbashi - leader of 1000 (senior officer)

Goshunbashi - Army commander

The rank of a marshal has also apparently been reintroduced.^[13] The real cash payment to the warrior rank in the army is about US$1.5 - 3 (2005 rates) per month. Only some of the conscript's time in the military is occupied with military service, the rest being occupied with "labour" (half a day) and "self-improvement" (2–3 hours a day) by reciting traditional Turkoman texts, learning songs and playing music.

Equipment

The number of vehicles is around 2,000, the number of tanks is around 700 and the number of artillery pieces is around 560.^[14]

Turkmen ground forces equipment includes 702 T-72,^[15] and 10 T-90, ordered in 2009 for approximately $30 million.^[16][17]

AIFV / APC include BTR-60/BTR-70/BTR-80 - 829,^[15] BMP-1/BMP-2 - 930,^[15] BRM-1 12, and BRDM-2 - 170.

Artillery

Self-Propelled

• 2S1 Gvozdika - 40
• 2S3 Akatsiya - 16
• 2S9 Anona - 12

Multiple launch Rocket Systems

• BM-21 Grad - 56
• BM-27 Uragan - 54
• BM-30 Smerch - 6 on order^[18]

Towed Guns

• D-30 122mm Gun - 180
• D-1 152mm Gun - 17
• 2A65 152mm Gun - 72

Mortars

• M-37M 82mm mortar - 31
• PM-38 120mm mortar - 66

Air Defence Guns

• ZSU-23-4 - 48
• 57 mm AZP S-60 - 22

Surface to Air Missiles

• S-125 Neva/Pechora - ?
• 2K12 Kub - ?
• 9K33 Osa - 40
• 9K35 Strela-10 - 13

Light equipment

• Makarov PM
• AK-74
• AKM
• AK-47
• Beretta ARX-160
• RPK
• PKM
• Dragunov SVD
• NSV
• DShK
• RPG-7
• RPG-18
• RPG-22
• GP-25
• SPG-9

Air Force

Flag of the Turkmen Air Force

AgustaWestland AW101 flying overhead

Mi-8s fly near the presidential palace

The IISS in 2012 said the Air Force had 3,000 personnel with 94 combat capable aircraft.^[19] The total number of aircraft is around 120.^[14] It said there were two fighter/ground attack squadrons with MiG-29/MiG-29UB (total of 24 both types), Sukhoi Su-17 Fitter-Bs (65) and two Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoots (with 41 more being refurbished). It reported one transport squadron with Antonov An-26 'Curl' (1), and Mi-8s and Mi-24s (8 and 10 listed in service respectively). Training units had Sukhoi Su-7 Fitter-As (3 listed in service) and L-39 Albatross. Air defence missile units had SA-2, SA-3, and SA-5.

Units:

• 99th Aviation Base (former 67th Mixed Aviation Regiment) (Mary-2 airbase) with МiG-29 and Su-25.^[20]
• 47th Separate Mixed Aviation Squadron (Аk-Tepe/Ashkabad) with Аn-26/24, Мi-24 and Мi-8.
• 107th Fighter Aviation Regiment (Ak-Tepe) with 38 МiG-23 and 20 МiG-25 (not operational).
• 31st Separate Aviation Squadron (Chardzhou/Turkmenabad) with МiG-21, Su-7, L-39, Yak-28 and Аn-12 (not operational). Former 366th Independent Helicopter Squadron.
• 55th Fighter Aviation Regiment (Balkanabat) with МiG-23М (not operational). Former 179th Fighter Aviation Regiment.
• 56th Storage Base (Kyzyl-Arvat) with МiG-23. Former 217th Fighter/Bomber Aviation Regiment.
• 1st Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment 'Turkmenbashi' (Bikrova/Ashkabad) with 2K11 Krug.
• 2nd Radio-Technical Brigade.

Aircraft Inventory

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[21]	Notes
Trainer Aircraft
Aero L-39 Albatros	Czechoslovakia	training/light attack	L-39	2
Fighter Aircraft
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum	Soviet Union	fighter	MiG-29A MiG-29UB	22 2
Attack Aircraft
Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot	Soviet Union	close air support	Su-25	43
Transport Aircraft
Antonov An-24 Coke	Soviet Union	tactical transport	An-24	1
Attack Helicopter
Mil Mi-24 Hind	Soviet Union	attack	Mi-24	10
Transport Helicopter
Mil Mi-8 Hip	Soviet Union	transport/attack	Mi-8	8
AgustaWestland AW101	United Kingdom	VVIP transport	AW101 VVIP	2	1 delivered in 2013[22]

Border Guard

Flag of the Turkmen Navy

Turkmen naval forces are currently directed by the Border Guard Service and consist of around 700 servicemen and sixteen patrol boats.^[23] The Congressional Research Service, citing the International Institute of Strategic Studies, reports a number of six patrol boats.^[14]

The International Institute for Strategic Studies reported in 2007 that Turkmenistan intended to form a navy and had a minor base at Turkmenbashy with 1 USCG Point class cutter and 5 Kalkan-class patrol vessels.^[15] Jane's Fighting Ships 2001-2002 reported that the Point-class cutter was the Merjin, PB-129, (ex Point Jackson, 82378), which was transferred on 30 May 2000.

The country acquired four missile boats in 2011.^[14]

In 2012, Turkmenistan announced its first naval exercises in the Caspian Sea programmed for early September. Named Khazar-2012 (Khazar is the Turkmen name of the Caspian Sea), these tactical exercises comes after a summer of somewhat heightened tensions with Azerbaijan over natural gas fields in a contested part of the sea.^[24]

References and links

• CIA World Factbook, 2003 edition.