Military of Tajikistan

Tajikistan's armed forces consist of Land Forces, Mobile Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Presidential National Guard, and Security Forces (internal and border troops). There are also significant Russian forces in the country principally the 201st Motor Rifle Division.

Unlike the other former Soviet states of Central Asia, Tajikistan did not form armed forces based upon former Soviet units on its territory. Instead, the Russian Ministry of Defence took control of the Dushanbe-based 201st Motor Rifle Division; actually control simply shifted from the former district headquarters in Tashkent, which was in now-independent Uzbekistan, to Moscow. Also present in the country was a large contingent of Soviet border guards, which transitioned into a Russian-officered force with Tajik conscripts. For a long period a CIS peacekeeping force, built round the 201st MRD, was in place in the country.

Due to the presence of Russian forces in the country and the Civil war in Tajikistan, Tajikistan only formally legalised the existence of its armed forces in April 1994.

The armed forces were during the 1990s often poorly commanded, mostly badly disciplined, and with their equipment under-maintained. Draft-dodging and desertion was commonplace. Reflecting the fragmented militia group origin of the army’s units, in late 1995 the Mahmud (1st) and Faisali (11th) Brigades of the Army exchanged fire several times, and fighting again broke out between the Army Rapid Reaction Brigade (formerly the Mahmud Brigade) and the Presidential Guard in June 1996. Colonel Khudoiberdiev, commander of the Rapid Reaction Brigade was relieved of his command as a result.

Main Battle Tank

 * T-72 - 44

Infantry Fighting Vehicle

 * BMP-1 - 9
 * BMP-2 - 25

Armoured personnel carrier

 * BTR-60 - 1
 * BTR-70 - 2
 * BTR-80 - 26
 * MT-LB - 10

Artillery

 * D-30 122mm howitzer - 12
 * 2S1 Gvozdika 122mm self-propelled howitzer
 * 2S3 Akatsiya 152mm self-propelled howitzer

Multiple Rocket Launcher

 * BM-21 - 10

Heavy mortars

 * PM-38 120mm - 9

Surface to Air Missile

 * Stela SA-7 - 20

Light equipment

 * Makarov PM
 * TT-33
 * AK-74
 * AKM
 * AK-47
 * RPK
 * PKM
 * NSV
 * DShK
 * Dragunov SVD
 * RPG-7
 * RPG-18
 * SPG-9

Air Defense
SA-2, SA-3, SA-7 - 20

Air Force
Because of the civil war, airforce development was slow. The first equipment to arrive was 10 MI-8MTB's and 5 MI-24 in 1993 based at Dushanbe. The first transport aircraft were AN-24s(?) and AN-26s(?) were supplied in 1996. A plan from the 1990's to acquire SU-25's from Belarus to form an attack squadron did not occur. The Tajik Air Force remains small as Dushanbe doesn't expect an attack on the nation from the air and that Russian Air Force units at Gissar in Tajikistan and other such Russian contingents in Kazakhstan would deter any such assualt. The country is also patrolled by Russian aircraft as part of the CIS Joint Air Defence System. However, Moscow did help bolster the Tajik's helicopter contingents in 2006-07 by giving them six Mil Mi-8 and Mil Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters. It also provided four L-39 Albatros.

Aircraft Inventory
! style="text-align: left; background #aacccc;"|Aircraft ! style="text-align: left; background #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background #aacccc;"|Versions ! style="text-align: left; background #aacccc;"|In service ! style="text-align: left: background #aacccc;"|Notes
 * Mil Mi-24 Hind || || attack || Mi-24 || 4 || 8 in storage
 * Mil Mi-8 Hip || || transport || Mi-8 || 14 ||
 * Tupolev Tu-134 Crusty || || VIP || Tu-134A || 1 ||
 * L-29 Delfin || || trainer || L-29 || unknown ||
 * L-39 Albatros || || trainer || L-39C || 4 || former Russian
 * Tupolev Tu-134 Crusty || || VIP || Tu-134A || 1 ||
 * L-29 Delfin || || trainer || L-29 || unknown ||
 * L-39 Albatros || || trainer || L-39C || 4 || former Russian
 * L-39 Albatros || || trainer || L-39C || 4 || former Russian
 * L-39 Albatros || || trainer || L-39C || 4 || former Russian

References and links

 * Jane's Information Group, Jane's World Armies, 2004 edition
 * United Nations Secretary-General's reports on UNMOT, 1990s
 * CIA World Factbook page

তাজিকিস্তানের সামরিক বাহিনী Forze armate del Tagikistan Tádzsikisztán hadereje Вооружённые силы Таджикистана