The armed forces of Dushanbe and Bishkek share the same name
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are members of the CSTO, embodying the concept of “consumer of security” in this organization. Both countries are incapable of defending themselves due to extremely limited economic, scientific and technical, military and even, despite the high birth rate, demographic potential.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that in the late 1980s and 1990s, most of the non-indigenous (primarily Slavic) population was expelled from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which dealt a severe blow to the economies of both countries and sharply limited the possibilities of military development. At the same time, both are in an extremely difficult geopolitical situation that threatens their statehood. In the south - Afghanistan and Pakistan, sources of radical Islamism (the second is also a nuclear power). In the west - Uzbekistan, which can pose a danger both in the current state of a full-fledged state, and even more so if it turns into another hotbed of religious extremism.
In the east - China, slowly but surely pulling Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan into its orbit in a peaceful - economic and demographic - way. However, it makes no sense for these two countries to consider China as a potential adversary due to the absolute incomparability of military potentials.
Kyrgyzstan flew off
The ground forces of Kyrgyzstan are divided into the North and South-West regional commands.
The SRK includes the 8th motorized rifle division (headquarters - the city of Tokmak), the 2nd motorized rifle brigade (Koy-Tash), the 25th brigade of the special forces "Scorpion" (Tokmak), several separate battalions.
YuZRK has the 1st motorized rifle brigade (Osh), the 24th brigade of the Ilbirs special forces, several separate battalions.
There is also the 3rd anti-aircraft artillery brigade.
In service there are up to 215 T-72 tanks (in reality there are hardly more than 150 of them), from 30 to 42 BRDM-2, about 400 BMP and BMD (up to 274 BMP-1, 113 BMP-2, at least 4 BMD-1), more than 300 armored personnel carriers (200 MTLB, up to 122 BTR-70, 15 BTR-80). Part of the armored vehicles belongs to the National Guard (MVD MVD) and the country's border troops.
Artillery includes 30 self-propelled guns (12 2S9, 18 2S1), 141 towed guns (18 BS-3, 72 D-30, 35 M-30, 16 D-1), 304 mortars (250 BM-37, 6 2S12, 48 M -120), 21 MLRS BM-21. There are 62 ATGMs (26 "Baby", 12 "Competition", 24 "Fagot") and 18 ATGM MT-12.
The military air defense has 4 Strela-10 air defense systems, up to 400 Strela-2 / -3 MANPADS, 24 Shilka air defense systems, 24 ZU-23-2 and S-60 anti-aircraft guns each.
The Kyrgyz Air Force was armed with about 100 MiG-21 fighters, but now all of them have lost their combat capabilities. The only aircraft capable of using weapons are 4 training L-39s (can be used as light attack aircraft). There are 4 passenger aircraft - 2 Tu-154 and 2 Boeing-737, intended for the country's top leadership. The Air Force also includes from 2 to 6 combat helicopters Mi-24 and 9-19 multipurpose Mi-8.
The 5th anti-aircraft missile brigade includes 4 divisions (24 launchers) of the S-75 air defense system, 2 divisions (8 launchers) C-125, 1 division (12 launchers) of the Krug air defense system.
The only military-industrial complex in the country is the Dastan plant, which produces conventional and jet (Shkval) torpedoes. Kyrgyzstan itself does not need it due to its lack of a navy. Throughout the post-Soviet period, Bishkek has been bargaining with Moscow on the terms on which to transfer the plant to the ownership of the Russian Federation. Moreover, most of its products are exported to India.
The 999th airbase of the Russian Air Force is located on the territory of the country. These are about 10 combat aircraft and up to 15 helicopters.
As you can see, the military potential of Kyrgyzstan is modest. The level of combat and moral and psychological training of personnel is, to put it mildly, low.
From the Pamirs along the thread
In Tajikistan, the situation is much worse.
With the exception of the Baltic republics, which refused to consider themselves the successors of the USSR, Tajikistan became the only former Soviet Union that did not receive any share of the Soviet army after the collapse of the country. National Armed Forces were created already in the post-Soviet period with the help of Russia. At the same time, the Tajik army initially became a synthesis of government and opposition forces during the civil war of the first half of the 90s. Although 20 years have passed since then, the full integration of these formations has not happened, which was demonstrated by the events of the second half of 2015. Nevertheless, formally, the country's Armed Forces are considered united. All the Soviet-made military equipment they have, transferred by Russia. There is no own defense industry complex in Tajikistan. In the past two years, the supply of equipment from China has begun.
The ground forces of Tajikistan include six brigades: 1st and 3rd motorized rifle, 11th mountain rifle, 7th airborne assault, 1st SSO (Presidential Guard), 12th artillery. All heavy military equipment is in the 1st MTR Brigade, which at the same time performs the function of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The tank park consists of 14 conditionally new T-72s. There are 15 BMP-2, 23 Soviet (20 BTR-80, 2 BTR-70, 1 BTR-60) and 11 Chinese (5 YW-531H, 6 WZ-523) armored personnel carriers.
The artillery includes 10-12 towed D-30 guns, 10-15 PM-38 mortars, 18 BM-21 MLRS.
In the ground air defense system there are 3 divisions of the S-75 air defense system (18 launchers), 4 divisions of the C-125 air defense missile system (16 launchers), several dozen Strela-2 MANPADS, 28 ZSU-23-4 Shilka, 22 C-60 anti-aircraft guns …
The Air Force has no combat aircraft and is purely symbolic. They include 3 transport aircraft (Tu-134A, Yak-40, An-26), 4 training L-39 and 1 Yak-52. There are up to 14 Mi-24 combat helicopters and 12-24 multipurpose Mi-8 helicopters.
The 201st military base of the RF Armed Forces (the former 201st motorized rifle division) is deployed on the territory of the country (in Dushanbe and Kurgan-Tyube). In its composition - 3 motorized rifle (including 1 mountain), 1 tank, 1 reconnaissance, 1 communications battalions, 3 battalions of self-propelled guns. In service with 86 T-72 tanks, 123 BMP-2, 36 self-propelled guns 2S3, 18 mortars 2S12, 24 MLRS BM-21, 18 air defense systems (12 "Wasp", 6 "Strela-10"), 6 ZSU "Shilka".
Bargaining is inappropriate here
As in the case of another member of the CSTO, Armenia ("Outpost with questions"), Russian military bases are extremely important for the security of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. True, there are significant differences in the behavior of the authorities of these countries.
Armenia and the NKR have very powerful and efficient armies, but Yerevan does not require Moscow to pay for the presence of the 102nd base on its territory. On the contrary, he himself largely finances it. And even more so, it does not impose any other conditions in connection with the operation of the base.
In Kyrgyzstan, not to mention Tajikistan, the situation with the armies is much worse. However, they regularly covet payments for the maintenance of Russian military bases on their territories and put forward various other demands (for example, on the status of their citizens working in the Russian Federation).
The most surprising thing is that Moscow is being led to this blackmail and is beginning to seriously discuss the Kyrgyz and Tajik demands. Although the answer to them should be only one: a statement of immediate withdrawal. For military and geographical reasons, it would be much easier for Russia to defend only Kazakhstan from the expansion of Islamists from the south, especially since it itself has a very combat-ready armed forces. For Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the withdrawal of Russian troops will be a disaster. If the leaders of these countries do not realize such simple things, this is their problem, not ours. The strange thing is that Moscow doesn't seem to understand this either.
