A different power in Central Asia: Everything about the Tajikistan army

This episode of Modern Armies analyzes Tajikistan's military, ranked 108th in the 2025 Global Firepower Index. Despite limited resources, its doctrine prioritizes border security, counterterrorism, and rapid response, relying on Russian and Chinese equipment and developing domestic drone capabilities through Iran and Turkiye. In this episode of our Modern Armies series, we evaluate the Tajikistan army. Ranked 108th out of 145 countries in the Global Firepower 2025 Index, Tajikistan, despite its limited budget, adopts a defense doctrine that prioritizes border security, counterterrorism operations, and rapid response capacity. The backbone of the army is the parachute units called "Tajik Mobile Forces." Inspired by Russia's renowned airborne unit, this structure participates in numerous operations and utilizes vehicles such as the Iranian-made Ababil-2. Unit members continue the Russian paratrooper tradition by wearing blue berets and "telnyashka" (blue-and-white striped tank tops). Its equipment inventory is largely based on Soviet heritage. Among its air defense systems, Chinese-made HQ-17AE short-range missiles and Russian TOS-1A thermobaric rocket launchers stand out. A joint production facility established with Iran in 2022 enables the local assembly of Ababil-2 UAVs, while negotiations with Turkiye for the Bayraktar TB2 are ongoing as part of a diversification strategy. While Tajikistan's military procurement policy is heavily dependent on Russia, China's share has increased. The $122 million arms package purchased from Russia in 2021 was linked to the extension of the 201st Russian Military Base. Meanwhile, the purchase of VP11 patrol vehicles from China and the establishment of anti-drug bases in the Wakhan Corridor are adding strategic depth. Border security is at the center of Tajikistan's military agenda. Border disputes with Kyrgyzstan were resolved in 2025. Problems with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan continue. Prepared by Sinan Bakioğlu, Special Content Editor at GZT. It was shaped with contributions from Uludağ University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Mehmet Yüce. In this video, we explored the following questions: How is the army structured? What equipment does it use? What military projects are underway? What military challenges does the country face? You can watch our video for all this and much more. Note: Our AI-generated voiceovers aim to emulate the original speaker but may not fully capture language nuances or intricacies despite our efforts for accuracy and quality. Join GZT to benefit from special privileges: / @gzt Like the video! Subscribe for new videos: https://bit.ly/3oO5zRn 00:00 Introduction 01:09 How is the army structured? 04:06 What vehicles does the ground forces use? 06:29 What vehicles does the air and air defense forces use? 07:06 What military projects is Tajikistan undertaking? 10:24 What military challenges does Tajikistan face? Download our 'GZT' mobile app to receive news instantly in your phone! Editor's Report: • Editor's Report 10/ON: • 10/ON GZT Intelligence: • GZT Intelligence GZT Profile: • Profile Modern Armies: • Modern Armies Expert Report: • Expert Reports East Turkestan: • What's Happening in East Turkestan? What's Happening in Gaza: • What's Happening in Gaza? 🔎 CONTACT US: Our website: https://www.gzt.com/ GZT App Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... GZT App iOS: https://apps.apple.com/tr/app/gzt/id1... GZT App Huawei: https://onelink.to/htmuff Instagram: /gzt Facebook: /gzt X (Twitter): /gztcom TikTok: /gzt Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gzt WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7E... Telegram: https://t.me/gztcom Hello, welcome to GZT, the 'Social Media of News'! You are on the YouTube channel of GZT, a unique example of digital journalism in Türkiye. On this channel, you can find exclusive content and interviews on current events. From history to politics, science to art, don't forget to subscribe to our channel and follow us on other social media! One new video every day 🙌 Thanks for watching!