Military of Kyrgyzstan

Military of Kyrgyzstan
Military guard of honor near a monument in Bishkek's main square
Founded	circa 1992
Service branches	Land Forces, Air Forces, Border Guards, Interior Troops, Ministry of Emergency Situations
Headquarters	Bishkek
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Roza Otunbayeva
Minister of Defence	Ismail Isakov[1]
First Deputy Defence Minister and Chief of General Staff	Colonel General Alik Mamyrkulov
Manpower
Military age	18
Conscription	18 months
Available for military service	1,234,457 (2002 est.), age 15–49
Fit for military service	1,001,274 (2002 est.), age 15–49
Reaching military age annually	50,590 (2002 est.)
Active personnel	15,500 (IISS 2007)
Reserve personnel	10,000
Expenditures
Budget	1.4 billion soms (IISS 2007)

The armed forces of Kyrgyzstan, originally formed from former Soviet forces of the Turkestan Military District stationed in the newly independent state, includes the Army/Land Forces, the Air and Air Defence Forces, the Northern and Southern Groups of Forces, Interior Troops, Agency of National Security and Border Troops.

For much of the Soviet period, since 1967, the 8th Guards 'Panfilov' Motor Rifle Division was the main military force in the country, and the Division was only disbanded in January 2003.^[2] In 1967 the Division had been moved to Bishkek from the Baltic Military District, where it had previously been based.

In terms of foreign presence, the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom coalition use the Manas Air Base (Bishkek's international airport) while Russia has the 999th Air Base at Kant which was set up by Moscow to counter the American military presence in the Former Soviet state.

Army

The Army of Kyrgyzstan includes the 1st Motor Rifle Brigade (Mountain) at Osh, a brigade at Koy-Tash, in the Bishkek area, the 25th Special Forces Brigade, independent battalions at Karakol and Naryn, a brigade at Balykchi, and other units.

Two Groups of Forces, the Southern, and more recently the Northern, have been active during Kyrgyzstan's history. In 2004, the Northern Group of Forces was reported as consisting of the Balykchynsky brigade, the brigade deployed in suburb of Bishkek, separate battalions in Karakol and Naryn,and other army units.^[3]

Equipment

Tanks

• T-72 - 150

AIFV / APC

Artillery

Towed

Self-Propelled

Towed Mortars

• 2S12 Sani - 6
• M120 - 48

Multiple Rocket Launchers

• BM-21 "Grad" - 15

Light equipment

Special Forces

Subordinated to the Ministry of Defense

• 25th Special Force Brigade Scorpion. This brigade was formed in 1994. It began as the 525th Special Company, and now Scorpion is the best brigade in the country. Soldiers of this brigade use modern weapons and equipment.
• "Ilbirs" brigade. Ilbirs means Tiger in the Kyrgyz language. It was formed in April 1999. At that period it was the 24th Special Forces Battalion.

National Guard Special Forces

• The National Guard of Kyrgyzstan has an Airborne Battalion, Panther.
• Bars (Барс) and Edelweiss units

Agency of National Security

• Alfa is an anti-terrorist unit. Almost all former Soviet countries' National Security Agencies have special teams called "Alfa". "Alfa" is a top-secret unit; there is no information available about it.

Ministry of the Interior

• "SOBR" (СОБР) is a special team, similar to the American SWAT teams. SOBR also exists in Russia and many other post-Soviet countries.

Air force

The Air and Air Defense Force includes a regiment of MiG-21s and L-39s, four Antonov transports, and a helicopter regiment (apx 23 Mi-8, 9 Mi-24). Estimates for the numbers of MiG-21s range from 48 to 60-odd. However, only a few L-39s and the helicopters are capable of flight. All Kyrgyz military aircraft are reportedly based at Kant, alongside the Russian 999th Air Base.

Because of expense and military doctrine, Kyrgyzstan has not developed its air capability; a large number of the MiG-21 interceptors that it borrowed from Russia were returned in 1993, although a number of former Soviet air bases remain available. In 1996 about 100 decommissioned MiG-21s remained in Kyrgyzstan, along with ninety-six L-39 trainers and sixty-five helicopters. The air defense forces have received aid from Russia, which has sent military advisory units to establish a defense system. The Russians also help patrol Kyrgyz airspace as part of the Joint CIS Air Defense System Presently Kyrgyzstan has twenty-six SA-2 and SA-3 surface-to-air missiles in its air defense arsenal.

Aircraft inventory

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[5]	Notes
Fighter Aircraft
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed	Soviet Union	fighter	MiG-21	0 flyable[6]	100 acquired from ex-USSR.
Transport and Liaison Aircraft
Antonov An-12 Cub	Soviet Union	transport	An-12	2
Antonov An-26 Curl	Soviet Union	transport	An-26	2
Trainer Aircraft
Aero L-39 Albatros	Czechoslovakia	light attack/trainer	L-39	4	96 acquired from ex-USSR.
Attack Helicopters
Mil Mi-24 Hind	Soviet Union	attack	Mi-24	9	31 in storage
Transport and Utility Helicopters
Mil Mi-8 Hip Mil Mi-17 Hip-H	Soviet Union	transport/attack	Mi-8 Mi-17	23	2 in storage

Air defense

• SA-2, SA-3 - 20
• SA-4 - 12
• SA-7
• ZSU-23-4SP - 24
• S-60 - 24

References and links

1. ^ Military Technology, World Defence Almanac Vol. XXXII, Issue 1, 2008, p.248
2. ^ http://www8.brinkster.com/vad777/sng/kirgizia.htm - accessed Aug 2007 and Jan 2008
3. ^ Vad777, accessed July 2008, reporting http://www.sk.kg/2004/n19/7.html - 2004, a dead link
4. ^ Jane's Armour and Artillery 1997-98 ISBN 0-7106-1542-6
5. ^ Kyrgyzstan Air Force at globalsecurity.org
6. ^ World Defence Almanac 2008, p.248

• CIA World Factbook, 2003 edition.
• IISS Military Balance, 2007 edition

Further reading

• O'Mallery, William D., and McDErmott, Roger N., 'Kyrgyzstan's Security Tightrope,' Journal of Slavic Military Studies, Vol. 16, No. 3, September 2003, 72-111
• Martha Brill Olcott, Library of Congress Country Study Kyrgyzstan, National Security, 1996
• Henry Plater-Zyberk, Kyrgyzstan - Focusing on Security, Conflict Studies Research Centre K41, November 2003