Turkmen Ground Forces

The Turkmen Ground Forces (Turkmen: Türkmenistanyň gury ýer güýçleri) is the army branch of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan. The ground forces include the 2nd, 3rd, 11th, and 22nd Motor Rifle Divisions as well as an Airborne Brigade.

Turkmen Ground Forces
Türkmenistanyň gury ýer güýçleri
Founded1992
Country Turkmenistan
BranchGround force
TypeArmy
RoleGround warfare
Size18,500 troops
HeadquartersAshgabat
Colors     Green
Commanders
Commander-in-chiefGurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
Insignia
Ensign
A tank from the armed forces during a parade in 2011

History

The basis of the present-day Turkmen Ground Forces are several rifle divisions from the Turkestan Military District (based in neighboring Uzbekistan) of the Soviet Armed Forces. Of these units, the 36th Army Corps was stationed in the Turkmen SSR.[1] More than 50,000 former Soviet Army personnel were either withdrawn or fired following the creation of the national defence ministry. This was more than half the Soviet troops who operated in the Turkmen SSR at the end of 1991. By 1993, the ground forces operated 200 military units, 70 of which were under joint Turkmen-Russian jurisdictions. The ground forces had been reduced to about 11,000 by 1996, which was organized into a singular army corps.[2]

Organization
Turkmen marines on parade.

Units of the Ground Forces located in each of the 5 military districts:[3][4] (Ahal Military District, Balkan Military District, Dashoguz Military District, Lebap Military District, Mary Military District). Direct operational control of the ground forces is carried out by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan.

The Ground Forces includes the following units:[5]

  • 2nd Training Motorized Rifle Division named after Alp Arslan (deployed in the town of Tejen in the Ahal Region)
    • 1 Tank Regiment
    • 1 Motorized Rifle Regiment
    • 1 Artillery Regiment
  • 3rd Motorized Rifle Division named Bairam Khan (deployed in Ashgabat)
    • 1 Tank Regiment
    • 3 Motorized Rifle Regiments
    • 1 Artillery Regiment
  • 11th Motorized Rifle Division named after Sultan Ahmad Sanjar (deployed in the city of Serhetabat, Mary Region)
    • 1 Tank Regiment
    • 1 (23rd) Motorized Rifle Regiment
    • 1 Artillery Regiment
  • 22nd Motorized Rifle Division named after Hero of Turkmenistan Atamyrat Niyazov (deployed in Serdar, Balkan Region)[6][7]
    • 1 Tank Regiment
    • 1 Motorized Rifle Regiment
    • 1 Artillery Regiment
  • 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade named after Tughril (deployed in the city of Kerki, Lebap Region)
  • 5th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade named after Chaghri Beg
  • 6th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade named after Gorogly Beg
  • Independent Airborne Special Purpose Regiment (harby gullukçylary geçýärler) (deployed in Ashgabat)
    • 152nd Independent Air Assault Battalion
  • Naval Infantry Separate Brigade named after Deniz Khagan
  • Artillery Brigade (deployed near Ashgabat)
  • Independent Anti-Tank Regiment
  • Independent Mixed Artillery Anti-Tank Regiment
  • Rocket-propelled Artillery Team (deployed near Ashgabat)
  • Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade named after Saparmurat Turkmenbashi the Great
  • Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade
  • Independent Engineer Regiment (deployed near Ashgabat)
  • Independent Honor Guard Battalion of the Ministry of Defence (deployed in Ashgabat)
  • Kelyata Training Center (Bäherden District of the Ahal Region)

Equipment

The number of vehicles is around 2,000, the number of tanks is around 700 and the number of artillery pieces is around 560.

Light Weapons
Photo Model Type Caliber Origin Notes
Infantry Small Arms
Makarov PM Semi-automatic pistol 9x18mm Makarov  Soviet Union
Beretta Px4 Storm[8] Semi-automatic pistol 9x19mm Parabellum  Italy
AK-47 Assault Rifle 7.62x39mm  Soviet Union
AKM
AKMS		 Assault Rifle 7.62x39mm  Soviet Union
AK-74
AKS-74		 Assault Rifle 5.45x39mm  Soviet Union
 Russia
Beretta ARX160 Assault Rifle 5.56x45mm NATO  Italy
Dragunov SVD Marksman Rifle 7.62x54mmR  Soviet Union
RPK
RPK-74		 Light Machine Gun 7.62x39mm
5.45x39		  Soviet Union
PK machine gun Light Machine Gun 7.62x54mmR  Soviet Union
NSV machine gun Heavy machine gun 12.7x108mm  Soviet Union
 Russia
DShK Heavy machine gun 12.7x108mm  Soviet Union
 Russia
Kord machine gun Heavy machine gun 12.7x108mm  Soviet Union
 Russia
Anti-tank weaponry
RPG-7 Anti-tank Grenade Launcher 40mm  Soviet Union
RPG-18 Rocket Propelled Grenade 64mm  Soviet Union
RPG-22 Rocket Propelled Grenade 73mm  Soviet Union
SPG-9 Recoilless Rifle 73mm  Soviet Union
9M14 Malyutka[9] MLCOS Guided missile 125mm  Soviet Union Designated AT-3 Sagger by NATO.
9K111 Fagot[9] SALCOS Guided missile 120mm  Soviet Union Designated AT-4 Spigot by NATO.
9M113 Konkurs[9] SALCOS Guided missile 135mm  Soviet Union Designated AT-5 Spandrel by NATO.
9K115 Metis[9] SALCOS Guided missile 94mm  Soviet Union
 Russia		 Designated AT-7 Saxhorn by NATO.

Combat Vehicles
Photo Model Type Origin Number Notes
Tanks
T-90S Main Battle Tank  Russia 4[9] 30 on order.[10]
T-72UMG Main Battle Tank  Soviet Union
 Ukraine		 650[9]
Infantry Fighting Vehicles
BMP-1
BMP-1M		 Infantry Fighting Vehicle  Soviet Union
 Ukraine		 600[9]
BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle  Soviet Union 430[9]
BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle  Russia 4[9]
BMD-1 Airborne Infantry Fighting Vehicle  Soviet Union 8[9]
Armored Personnel Carriers
BTR-60 Armored Personnel Carrier  Soviet Union 120[9] Different versions in service.
BTR-70 Armored Personnel Carrier  Soviet Union 300[9]
BTR-80
BTR-80A		 Armored Personnel Carrier  Soviet Union
 Russia		 454[9]
Bars Armored Personnel Carrier  Belarus Unknown
BMC Kirpi Infantry Mobility Vehicle  Turkey 28+[9]
Otokar Cobra Infantry Mobility Vehicle  Turkey 4+[9]
Nimr Ajban 440A Infantry Mobility Vehicle  United Arab Emirates 8[9]
Anti-tank Vehicles
9P122 ATGM Carrier  Soviet Union 8[9] Armed with Malytka-M Missile.
9P133 ATGM Carrier  Soviet Union 8[9] Armed with 9M14 Malyutka Missile.
9P148 ATGM Carrier  Soviet Union 2[9] Armed with 9M113 Konkurs Missile.
9P149 ATGM Carrier  Soviet Union 36[9] Armed with 9K114 Shturm Missile.
Karkal ATGM Carrier  Belarus 4+[9] Armed with Baryer Missile.

Artillery
Photo Model Type Origin Number Notes
Rocket Artillery
BM-21
9P138		 122mm Multiple rocket launcher  Soviet Union
 Belarus		 88[9] Range: 20-45km
RM-70 122mm Multiple rocket launcher  Czech Republic 6[9] Range: 20km
BM-27 220mm Multiple rocket launcher  Soviet Union 60[9] Range: 35-50km
BM-30 300mm Multiple rocket launcher  Russia 6[9] Range: 90km
Scud Tactical Ballistic Missile  Soviet Union 16[9] Range: 180-800km, depends on type.
Self-propelled guns
2S3 Akatsiya 152mm Self-propelled howitzer  Soviet Union 16[9]
2S1 Gvozdika 122mm Self-propelled howitzer  Soviet Union 40[9]
2S9 Nona 120mm Self-propelled mortar  Soviet Union 17[9]
Towed Artillery
D-30 122mm Howitzer  Soviet Union 350[9]
M-46 130mm Field gun  Soviet Union 6[9]
D-1 152mm Howitzer  Soviet Union 17[9]
D-20 152mm Howitzer  Soviet Union 72[9]
2A36 152mm Howitzer  Soviet Union 6[9]
2A65 152mm Howitzer  Soviet Union 6[9]
M1938 mortar 120mm Mortar  Soviet Union 66[9]
2B14 Podnos 82mm Mortar  Soviet Union 31[9]

Army Air Defence
Photo Model Type Number Origin Notes
MANPADs
9K32 Strela-2[9] MANPAD Unknown  Soviet Union
9K34 Strela-3[9] MANPAD Unknown  Soviet Union
9K38 Igla[9] MANPAD Unknown  Soviet Union
 Russia
Self-Propelled SAMs
9K35 Strela-10 Mobile SAM 13[9]  Soviet Union
9K33 Osa Mobile SAM 40[9]  Soviet Union
2K12 Kub[9] Mobile SAM 4  Soviet Union
FM-90[9] Mobile SAM Unknown  People's Republic of China
Anti-air guns
ZSU-23-4 Self-propelled anti-air gun 48[9]  Soviet Union
AZP S-60 Anti-air gun 22[9]  Soviet Union
ZU-23-2[9] Anti-air gun Unknown  Soviet Union

See also

References
  1. Захаров 2011.
  2. Hays, Jeffrey. "MILITARY OF TURKMENISTAN | Facts and Details". factsanddetails.com. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
  3. https://www.caravan.kz/articles/voennyjj-balans-v-centralnojj-azii-371405/amp/
  4. https://tugulympu.ru/ashhabada-v-voiskah-artillerii-posle-armii-mira-vooruzhennye-sily-turkmenii/
  5. http://www.turkmenistan.ru/en/node/1516
  6. http://old.redstar.ru/2004/07/15_07/n.html
  7. http://www.turkmenistan.ru/en/node/7320
  8. https://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=890
  9. Military Balance 2018. IISS. 2018. p. 208. ISBN 978-1857439007.
  10. https://www.army-technology.com/news/newsrussia-to-supply-t-90-tanks-to-algeria-turkmenistan/
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