Founded circa 1992 | Military age 18 | |
 | ||
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 President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow Minister of Defence Colonel General Yaylym Berdiev | ||
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.
Contents
- State Security Council
- Ground Forces
- Equipment
- Artillery
- Air Defence Guns
- Surface to Air Missiles
- Light equipment
- Air Force
- Naval Forces
- References
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.'
CAST's Moscow Defence Brief said that '..In 1992-1993 Turkmenistan attempted to create a small national armed force based on the former 52nd Army (Soviet Union), which was located in the country and depended on support from Russia. Of the 300 formations and units, numbering 110,000 people, 200 were transferred to the command of Turkmenistan, 70 remained under Russia's jurisdiction, and 30 were either withdrawn or demobilized.
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."
State Security Council
The State Security Council is the most important defence decision-making body in the country.
The 1995 Law on defence says that the President of Turkmenistan defines the powers of the Security Council.
The Security Council is mentioned in the 2003 Constitution of Turkmenistan but not in the 1992 constitution [3], 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.
Following the death of Niyazov, the Security Council announced Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow as his interim successor.
Ground Forces
The Turkmen military inherited several motor rifle divisions from the Soviet Armed Forces Turkestan Military District, forming the basis of the Turkmen ground forces. Among them was the 58th Motor Rifle Division at Kyzyl-Arvat. Interim Russian commanders in the first half of the 1990s 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 defence Lieutenant General Nikolai Kormiltsev.
Today the ground forces include the 2nd, 3rd, 11th, and 22nd Motor Rifle Divisions. The 11th Motor Rifle Division is the former Soviet 88th Motor Rifle Division. The 11th (according to other sources 357th) MSD behalf of Sultan Sanjar (former Soviet 88th MSD; Kushka officially - Serhetabat).
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).
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 commanderThe rank of a marshal has also apparently been reintroduced. 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.
Turkmen ground forces equipment includes 702 T-72, and 10 T-90, ordered in 2009 for approximately $30 million.
AIFV / APC include BTR-60/BTR-70/BTR-80 - 829, BMP-1/BMP-2 - 930, BRM-1 12, and BRDM-2 - 170.
Artillery
Self-Propelled
Multiple launch Rocket Systems
Towed Guns
Mortars
Air Defence Guns
Surface to Air Missiles
Light equipment
Air Force
The IISS in 2012 said the Air Force had 3,000 personnel with 94 combat capable aircraft. The total number of aircraft is around 120. 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:
Naval Forces
Turkmen naval forces are currently directed by the Border Guard Service and consist of around 700 servicemen and sixteen patrol boats. The Congressional Research Service, citing the International Institute for Strategic Studies, reports a number of six patrol boats.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies reported in 2007 that Turkmenistan intended to form a navy and had a minor base at Turkmenbashy with one USCG Point class cutter and five Kalkan-class patrol vessels. 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.
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 came after a summer of somewhat heightened tensions with Azerbaijan over natural gas fields in a contested part of the sea.