Military of Kyrgyzstan
Encyclopedia
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. 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.
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.
- 53 BTR-70
- 25 BTR-80
- 10 BMP-1
- 230 BMP-2
- 90 BRDM-2
- 30
- 18 122mm howitzer D-30 - 72 122mm howitzer M-30 - 35 152mm howitzer D-1 - 16
Self-Propelled 2S9 Anona
- 12 2S1
- 18
Towed Mortars 2S12 Sani
- 6 M120 - 48
Multiple Rocket Launchers BM-21 "Grad"
- 15
pistol TT-33
pistol PP-2000
submachine gun (elite units only) AK-47
assault rifle AKM
assault rifle AK-74
assault rifle AK-101
assault rifle (elite units only) AKS-74U
carbine SKS
carbine RPK
light machine gun PKM
general purpose machine gun NSV heavy machine gun DShK
heavy machine gun Dragunov SVD sniper rifle RPG-7
rocket launcher GP-25 grenade launcher AGS-17
automatic grenade launcher SPG-9
recoilless rifle
s, 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.
! 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
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Fighter Aircraft
|-----
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed
|| || fighter || MiG-21 || 0 flyable || 100 acquired from ex-USSR.
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport
and Liaison Aircraft
|-----
| Antonov An-12 Cub
|| || transport || An-12 || 2 ||
|-----
| Antonov An-26 Curl
|| || transport || An-26 || 2 ||
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Trainer Aircraft
|-----
| Aero L-39 Albatros
|| || light attack/trainer || L-39 || 4 || 96 acquired from ex-USSR.
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Attack Helicopters
|-----
| Mil Mi-24 Hind
|| || attack || Mi-24 || 9 || 31 in storage
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport and Utility Helicopters
|-----
| Mil Mi-8 Hip
Mil Mi-17 Hip-H
|| || transport/attack || Mi-8
Mi-17 || 23 || 2 in storage
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
, originally formed from former Soviet forces of the Turkestan Military District
Turkestan Military District
The Turkestan Military District was a military district of both the Imperial Russian Army and the Soviet Armed Forces, with its headquarters at Tashkent. The District was first created during the 1874 Russian military reform when by order of Minister D.A. Milyutinym the territory of Russia was...
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
8th Guards Rifle Division
The 8th Guards Panfilov Division originally the 316th Rifle Division, is a motorized infantry division of the Military of Kyrgyzstan,...
was the main military force in the country, and the Division was only disbanded in January 2003. In 1967 the Division had been moved to Bishkek
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
from the Baltic Military District
Baltic Military District
The Baltic Military District was a military district of the Soviet armed forces, formed briefly before the German invasion, and then reformed after World War II and disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991....
, where it had previously been based.
In terms of foreign presence, the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom coalition use the Manas Air Base
Manas Air Base
Transit Center at Manas is a United States military installation at Manas International Airport, near Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, primarily operated by the U.S. Air Force....
(Bishkek's international airport) while Russia has the 999th Air Base at Kant
Kant Air Base
Kant Air Base is a military air base in Ysyk-Ata District of Chuy Oblast in Kyrgyzstan. It is located just south of the city of Kant, some 20 km east of downtown Bishkek.- History :...
which was set up by Moscow to counter the American military presence in the Former Soviet state.
Army
The Army of KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
includes the 1st Motor Rifle Brigade (Mountain) at Osh
Osh
Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939...
, a brigade at Koy-Tash
Koy-Tash
Koy-Tash is a village in the Alamudun District of Chuy Province of Kyrgyzstan....
, in the Bishkek
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
area, the 25th Special Forces Brigade, independent battalions at Karakol
Karakol
Karakol , formerly Przhevalsk, is fourth largest city in Kyrgyzstan, near the eastern tip of Issyk Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan, about from the Kyrgyzstan-China border and from the capital Bishkek. It is the administrative capital of Issyk Kul Province...
and Naryn
Naryn
Naryn is the provincial administrative center of the Naryn Province in central Kyrgyzstan, with a population of 34,822 . It is situated on both banks of the Naryn River, , which cuts a picturesque gorge through the town...
, 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.
AIFV / APC
BTR-60BTR-60
The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers. It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen first time in public in 1961...
- 53 BTR-70
BTR-70
The BTR-70 is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier , originally developed during the late 1960s under the industrial designator GAZ-4905. On August 21, 1972, it was accepted into service and would later be exported to the Warsaw Pact and other allies...
- 25 BTR-80
BTR-80
BTR-80 is an 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed in the Soviet Union. Production started in 1986 and replaced the previous versions, BTR-60 and BTR-70 in the Soviet army. -Description:The Soviets based the BTR-80 on the BTR-70 APC...
- 10 BMP-1
BMP-1
The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty 1 , meaning "infantry fighting vehicle". The BMP-1 was the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle...
- 230 BMP-2
BMP-2
The BMP-2 is a second-generation, amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following the BMP-1 of the 1960s....
- 90 BRDM-2
BRDM-2
The BRDM-2 is an amphibious armoured patrol car used by Russia and the former Soviet Union. It was also known under designations BTR-40PB, BTR-40P-2 and GAZ 41-08...
- 30
Artillery
Towed 100mm field gun BS-3 - 18 100mm antitank gun T-12T-12 antitank gun
2A19 or T-12 is a Soviet smoothbore 100-mm anti-tank gun, which served as the main Eastern Bloc towed anti-tank gun from 1955 until the late 1980s.-History:The T-12 entered service in 1955, replacing the BS-3 100 mm field gun...
- 18 122mm howitzer D-30 - 72 122mm howitzer M-30 - 35 152mm howitzer D-1 - 16
Self-Propelled 2S9 Anona
2S9 Anona
The 2S9 NONA is a self-propelled 120 mm mortar designed by the Soviet Union and entering service in 1981...
- 12 2S1
2S1
The 2S1 Gvozdika, ; is a Soviet 122-mm self-propelled howitzer that resembles the PT-76 but is essentially a version of the MT-LB APC, mounting the 2A18 howitzer. "2S1" is its GRAU designation. An alternative Russian designation is SAU-122 but in the Russian Army it is commonly known as Gvozdika...
- 18
Towed Mortars 2S12 Sani
2S12 Sani
The 2S12 "Sani" is a 120 mm heavy mortar system used by the Russian Army and other former Soviet states. First fielded in 1981, the 2S12 is a continued development on the towed mortars first used in World War II.-Design:...
- 6 M120 - 48
Multiple Rocket Launchers BM-21 "Grad"
BM-21
The BM-21 launch vehicle , a Soviet truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, and a M-21OF rocket were developed in the early 1960s. BM stands for boyevaya mashina, ‘combat vehicle’, and the nickname means ‘hail’. The complete system with the BM-21 launch vehicle and the M-21OF rocket...
- 15
Light equipment
Makarov PMMakarov PM
The PM is a semi-automatic pistol design. Under the project leadership of Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov, it became the Soviet Union's standard military side arm from 1951-1991.-Development:...
pistol TT-33
TT-33
The TT-30 is a Russian semi-automatic pistol. It was developed in the early 1930s by Fedor Tokarev as a service pistol for the Soviet military to replace the Nagant M1895 revolver that had been in use since tsarist times, though it never fully replaced the M1895.-Development:In 1930, the...
pistol PP-2000
PP-2000
The PP-2000 is a submachine gun made by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau. It was first publicly displayed at the Interpolytech-2004 exhibition in Moscow even though its patent was filed in 2001 and issued in 2003.- Overview :...
submachine gun (elite units only) AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
assault rifle AKM
AKM
The AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an upgraded version of the AK-47 rifle and was developed in the 1950s....
assault rifle AK-74
AK-74
The AK-74 is an assault rifle developed in the early 1970s in the Soviet Union as the replacement for the earlier AKM...
assault rifle AK-101
AK-101
The AK-101 is an assault rifle of the Kalashnikov series. The AK-101 is designed for the world export market, using 5.56×45mm NATO cartridges, which is the standard of all NATO armies. The AK-101 is marketed at those looking for a weapon that combines the logistical compatibility and familiarity of...
assault rifle (elite units only) AKS-74U
AK-74
The AK-74 is an assault rifle developed in the early 1970s in the Soviet Union as the replacement for the earlier AKM...
carbine SKS
SKS
The SKS is a Soviet semi-automatic rifle chambered for the 7.62x39mm round, designed in 1943 by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov. SKS-45 is an acronym for Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova, 1945 Simonov system, 1945), or SKS 45. The Sks is a scaled down version of the PTRS-41 anti-tank rifle also...
carbine RPK
RPK
The RPK is a 7.62x39mm light machine gun of Soviet design, developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the late 1950s, parallel with the AKM assault/battle rifle...
light machine gun PKM
PK machine gun
The PK is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia. The PK machine gun was introduced in the 1960s and replaced the SGM and RPD machine guns in Soviet service...
general purpose machine gun NSV heavy machine gun DShK
DShK
The DShK 1938 is a Soviet heavy machine gun firing the 12.7x108mm cartridge. The weapon was also used as a heavy infantry machine gun, in which case it was frequently deployed with a two-wheeled mounting and a single-sheet armour-plate shield...
heavy machine gun Dragunov SVD sniper rifle RPG-7
RPG-7
The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
rocket launcher GP-25 grenade launcher AGS-17
AGS-17
The AGS-17 Plamya is a Soviet-designed automatic grenade launcher currently in production in the Russian Federation and in service worldwide.-Description:...
automatic grenade launcher SPG-9
SPG-9
The SPG-9 Kopye is a Russian tripod-mounted man-portable, 73 millimetre calibre recoilless gun developed by the Soviet Union. It fires fin-stabilised, rocket-assisted HE and HEAT projectiles similar to those fired by the 73 mm 2A28 Grom low pressure gun of the BMP-1 vehicle...
recoilless rifle
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
- "SOBRSOBRThe Special Rapid Response Unit or SOBR is an elite commando unit of the Russian Interior Ministry, involved in anti-criminal operations....
" (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-39Aero L-39
The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance jet trainer aircraft developed in Czechoslovakia to meet requirements for a "C-39" during the 1960s to replace the L-29 Delfín...
s, 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
Joint CIS Air Defense System
Joint CIS Air Defense System is a unified system that comprises air defense units and elements of the former Soviet republics under control of AA Defense Coordinating Committee of the CIS. Currently there are de-facto 6 members of JADS: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and...
Presently Kyrgyzstan has twenty-six SA-2 and SA-3 surface-to-air missiles in its air defense arsenal.
Aircraft inventory
! 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
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Fighter Aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
|-----
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
|| || fighter || MiG-21 || 0 flyable || 100 acquired from ex-USSR.
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport
Airlift
Airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft.Airlift may also refer to:*Airlift , a suction device for moving sand and silt underwater-See also:...
and Liaison Aircraft
Liaison aircraft
A liaison aircraft is a small, usually unarmed aircraft primarily used by military forces for artillery observation or transporting commanders and messages. The concept developed before World War II and included also battlefield reconnaissance, air ambulance, column control, light cargo delivery...
|-----
| Antonov An-12 Cub
Antonov An-12
The Antonov An-12 is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10.-Design and development:...
|| || transport || An-12 || 2 ||
|-----
| Antonov An-26 Curl
Antonov An-26
The Antonov An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.-Development:...
|| || transport || An-26 || 2 ||
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Trainer Aircraft
Trainer (aircraft)
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
|-----
| Aero L-39 Albatros
Aero L-39
The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance jet trainer aircraft developed in Czechoslovakia to meet requirements for a "C-39" during the 1960s to replace the L-29 Delfín...
|| || light attack/trainer || L-39 || 4 || 96 acquired from ex-USSR.
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Attack Helicopters
Attack helicopter
An attack helicopter is a military helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the capability of engaging targets on the ground, such as enemy infantry and armored vehicles...
|-----
| Mil Mi-24 Hind
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
|| || attack || Mi-24 || 9 || 31 in storage
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport and Utility Helicopters
|-----
| Mil Mi-8 Hip
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
Mil Mi-17 Hip-H
Mil Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude...
|| || transport/attack || Mi-8
Mi-17 || 23 || 2 in storage
Air defense
- SA-2, SA-3 - 20
- SA-4 - 12
- SA-7
- ZSU-23-4SPZSU-23-4The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" is a lightly armored, self-propelled, radar guided anti-aircraft weapon system . ZSU stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka , meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount". The "23" signifies the bore diameter in millimeters. The "4" signifies the number of gun barrels. It...
- 24 - S-6057 mm AZP S-6057 mm AZP S-60 ; literally: Automatic anti-aircraft gun S-60) is a Soviet towed, road-transportable, short- to medium-range, single-barrel anti-aircraft gun from the 1950s. The gun was extensively used in Warsaw Pact, Middle Eastern and South-East Asian countries.-History:In the late 1940s, the...
- 24
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 CentreConflict Studies Research CentreThe Conflict Studies Research Centre, or CSRC, was a component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, based at Shrivenham. It specialised in potential causes of conflict in a wide area ranging from the Baltics to Central Asia....
K41, November 2003