Kyrgyz Army

Kyrgyz Ground Forces

Кыргызстандын Кургактагы Аскерлер

Uniform sleeve patch of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces

Founded| 25 January 2017
Country|  Kyrgyzstan
Type| Army
Part of| Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic
Headquarters| Bishkek
Colors| Red and Yellow
March| "Kyz kuumai" («Кыз куумай»)
Commanders
Commander-in-chief| Sadyr Japarov
Commander of the Army| Colonel Almazbek Karasartov
Insignia
Military Ensign (Kyrgyz, obverse)|
Military Ensign (Russian, reverse)|

Military unit

The Kyrgyz Ground Forces, or simply the Kyrgyz Army, is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.

## History

[edit]

The parade contingent from the Panfilov Division during the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade on Red Square in 2010.

In April 1992, Kyrgyzstan formed a State Committee for Defense Affairs, and in June the republic took control of all troops on its soil (meaning remaining units of the stationed in Kyrgyzstan).[1] In 1994, 30 percent of the officer corps were ethnic Russians.[2] The first commander was General Valentin Luk'yanov [ru], an ethnic Ukrainian.[3] In Russian sources Luk'yanov is listed as the commander of the 8th Guards Motor Rifle Division from 1985-91.[4]

On January 25, 2017, President Almazbek Atambayev officially founded the Kyrgyz Army, with Colonel Erlis Terdikbayev acting as its first commander.[5]

## Structure

[edit]

Ground forces are divided into 2 military commands, the Northern and Southern Groups of Forces.[6][7]

### Northern Group of Forces

[edit]

* 8th Guards Motor Rifle Panfilov Division (Tokmok)
* 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Frunze Brigade (Koy-Tash)
* Independent Tank Regiment
* Machine Gun Battalions (Karakol)
* Artillery Battalions (Naryn)
* Engineering Battalion
* Signals Battalion
* Scorpion 25th Special Forces Brigade (Tokmok)
* Artillery Brigade
* Balykchynsky Brigade
* Specialized units

### Southern Group of Forces

[edit]

* 68th Independent Mountain Rifle Brigade (Osh)[8]
* Armored Battalion (Ala-Buka District)
* Machine Gun and Artillery Battalion
* Mountain Rifle Battalion "Batken"[8]
* 24th Independent "Ilbirs" (Snow Leopard) Special Purpose Brigade (Kök-Janggak)[9][10][11][12]
* Reconnaissance Battalion
* anti-aircraft artillery regiment
* parts and subdivisions of support, chemical protection, etc.

## Equipment

[edit]

Small arms

Name  | Origin  | Caliber  | Image  | Notes

|
|
|
|

Pistols
Makarov |  Soviet Union | 9×18mm Makarov |  |
Stechkin |  Soviet Union | 9×18mm Makarov |  |
Rifles and carbines
SKS |  Soviet Union | 7.62×39mm |  | Ceremonial usage
AKS-74U |  Soviet Union | 5.45×39mm |  | Standard carbine
Assault rifles
AK-47 |  Soviet Union | 7.62×39mm |  | [13]
AKM |  Soviet Union | 7.62×39mm |  | [14]
AK-74 |  Soviet Union | 5.45×39mm |  |
AN-94 |  Russian Federation | 5.45×39mm |  | 60 donated by Russia in 2012[15]
QBZ-95 |  China | 5.8×42mm DBP87 |  | [16]
M4 Carbine |  United States | 5.56x45mm NATO |  |
Designated marksman rifles
SVD Dragunov |  Soviet Union | 7.62×54mmR |  | [17]
MKEK JNG-90 |  Turkey | 7.62×51mm |  | [18]
Machine guns
RPK |  Soviet Union | 7.62×39mm |  |
RPK-74 |  Soviet Union | 5.45×39mm |  |
PK machine gun |  Soviet Union | 7.62×54mmR |  | [19]
NSV |  Soviet Union | 12.7×108mm |  |
Rocket Launchers
HAR-66 |  Turkey |  |  | [20]

### Armor

[edit]

Name  | Origin  | Type  | In service  | Notes

|
|
|
|

Tanks
T-72 |  Soviet Union | Main battle tank | 215[21] | At least one lost in the 2022 Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan clashes.[citation needed]
Armoured reconnaissance vehicle
BRDM-2 |  Soviet Union | Reconnaissance vehicle  | 30[21] |
BRDM-2MS |  Soviet Union | Reconnaissance vehicle  | 9[21] |
Infantry fighting vehicles
BMP-1 |  Soviet Union | Infantry fighting vehicle  | 230[21] | All modernized.[citation needed]
BMP-2 |  Soviet Union | Infantry fighting vehicle  | 90[21] | All modernized.[citation needed]
Armoured personnel carrier
BTR-80 |  Soviet Union | Amphibious armoured personnel carrier  | 10[21] |
BTR-70 |  Soviet Union | Amphibious armoured personnel carrier  | 45[21] | BTR-70 & BTR-70M
Humvee |  United States | Light armoured car | 50  |
Dongfeng EQ2050 |  China | Military light utility vehicle | Up to 65  | Showed the 30th anniversary of the country's independence at the parade.[citation needed] At least one was lost in the 2022 Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan clashes.[22]
Tigr |  Russia | Infantry mobility vehicle | Up to 100[23] | 55 vehicles purchased recently, and 50 vehicles donated from Russia in 2018. Others all purchased during previous years.[24]
Toyota[25] |  Japan | Infantry mobility vehicle  | 40  | Announced on 23 October 2021.[26]
Towed artillery
D-30 |  Soviet Union | 122mm howitzer | 72[21] | 35 are the M-30 standard.[citation needed]
M-30(M-1938) |  Soviet Union | 122mm howitzer  | 35[21] |
D-1 |  Soviet Union | 152mm howitzer  | 16[21] |
2A65 MSTA-B |  Soviet Union | 152mm howitzer  | N/A  |
BS-3 |  Soviet Union | 100mm field gun | 18[21] |
T-12 |  Soviet Union | 100mm Field gun  | 18[21] | 100mm round
Self-propelled artillery
2S1 Gvozdika |  Soviet Union | 122mm Self-propelled howitzer  | 18[21] |
2S9 Nona |  Soviet Union | 120mm Self-propelled mortar  | 12[27] |
Anti-tank weapons
9M14 Malyutka |  Soviet Union | Anti-tank missile | 26[28] |
9M113 Konkurs |  Soviet Union | Anti-tank missile | 12[28] |
9K111 Fagot |  Soviet Union | Anti-tank weapon | 24[28] |
Anti aircraft guns and Air defense system
S-300 |  Soviet Union /  Russia | Long-range surface-to-air missile system  | N/A[29] | Russia and Kyrgyzstan signed an inter-governmental agreement on cooperation in military-technical field, by which Russia must ship $1 billion worth of modern weapons to the republic.[30]
ZU-23-2 |  Soviet Union | Anti-aircraft autocannon | N/A  |
9K35 Strela-10 |  Soviet Union | VM surface-to-air missile system  | 4[31] |
9K32 Strela-2 |  Soviet Union | VM surface-to-air-missile system  | N/A[21] |
ZSU-23-4 Shilka |  Soviet Union | Self-propelled anti aircraft gun  | 24[28] |
Flying Leopard 6C[32] |  China | Short-range surface-to-air missile system  | N/A[33] | Leopard 6C short-range air defense system was seen during the exercises of the Kyrgyz army in the Bujum training field in Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan in September 2020. It's capable to shot down by 500–600 km.[citation needed]
AZP S-60 |  Soviet Union | Anti-aircraft gun  | 24[28] |
Ballistic missiles
Iskander-M |  Russia | Short-range ballistic missile | N/A  | Russia sent Iskander-M ballistic missile to Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan in 2018 to Kyrgyz military's drill.[34]
Multiple rocket launchers
BM-21 Grad |  Soviet Union | Multiple rocket launcher  | 15[35] |
BM-27 Uragan |  Soviet Union | Multiple rocket launcher  | 6[35] |
Utility vehicles
Ford Ranger |  United States | Pickup truck-attacking defender  | 45[36] | Showed the 30th anniversary of the country's independence at the parade.[citation needed]
Polaris |  United States | Quad  | 44[36] |
Toyota Hilux |  Japan | Pick up truck  | 45  |
UAZ Hunter |  Soviet Union /  Russia | Pick up truck  | Up to 140  | Supported by Russia as military gift which presented on 15 January 2019.[citation needed]
KamazAZ-43114 |  Russia | Pick up truck  | N/A  | Only small amount taken from Russia as a gift which 15 January 2019. Others all purchased from Russia and other post-soviet countries.[37]
KamAZ-53215[38] |  Russia | Freight carrier  | N/A  | Only small amount taken from Russia as a gift which 15 January 2019. Others all purchased from Russia and other post-soviet countries.[37]
KamAZ-5350KamAZ-4350 |  Russia | Freight carrier  | N/A  | Some of them is taken for free from Russia, others all purchased.[citation needed]
Shaanxi SX2190 |  China | Off-road vehicle | N/A[citation needed] |

## References

[edit]

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4. ^ Лукьянов Валентин Михайлович // Челябинская область: энциклопедия / гл. ред. К. Н. Бочкарёв. — Челябинск: Каменный пояс, 2008. — Т. 3. — К—Л. — 832 с. — ISBN 978-5-88771-074-7
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25. ^ "Погранслужбе ГКНБ КР передали 40 единиц новой военной техники, закупленной на бюджетные средства".
26. ^ "Бишкек намерен обновить свою военную технику". Радио Азаттык (Кыргызская служба Радио Свободная Европа/Радио Свобода) (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-08-07.
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28. ^ a b c d e "Caribbean and Latin America". The Military Balance. 92 (1): 166–189\. January 1992. doi:10.1080/04597229208460045. ISSN 0459-7222.166-189&rft.date=1992-01&rft_id=info:doi/10.1080/04597229208460045&rft.issn=0459-7222&rft_id=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/04597229208460045&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Kyrgyz+Army" class="Z3988">
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31. ^ Admin. "Что означает создание Сухопутных войск в Кыргызстане? - VESTI.KG - Новости Кыргызстана". vesti.kg (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-08-07.
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33. ^ "ЦАМТО / Новости / ВС Киргизии получили китайские комплексы ПВО ближнего действия "Флаинг Леопард 6C"". armstrade.org. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
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38. ^ "Kamaz-53215 6X4 GVW 19650 Kg".