| Unit Name: | Kyrgyz Ground Forces |
| Start Date: | 25 January 2017 |
| Country: |  Kyrgyzstan |
| Type: | Army |
| Command Structure: | Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic |
| Garrison: | Bishkek |
| Garrison Label: | Headquarters |
| Colors: | Red and Yellow |
| March: | "Kyz kuumai" («Кыз куумай») |
| Commander1: | Sadyr Japarov |
| Commander1 Label: | Commander-in-chief |
| Commander2: | Colonel Almazbek Karasartov |
| Commander2 Label: | Commander of the Army |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Military Ensign (Kyrgyz, obverse) |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | Military Ensign (Russian, reverse) |
| Native Name: | Kirghiz; Kyrgyz: Кыргызстандын Кургактагы Аскерлер |
The Kyrgyz Ground Forces, or simply the Kyrgyz Army, is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.
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, 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]
Ground forces are divided into 2 military commands, the Northern and Southern Groups of Forces.[6] [7]
Small arms
| Name | Origin | Caliber | Image | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistols | |||||
| Makarov | 9×18mm Makarov | ||||
| Stechkin | 9×18mm Makarov | ||||
| Rifles and carbines | |||||
| SKS | 7.62×39mm | Ceremonial usage | |||
| AKS-74U | 5.45×39mm | Standard carbine | |||
| Assault rifles | |||||
| AK-47 | 7.62×39mm | [13] | |||
| AKM | 7.62×39mm | [14] | |||
| AK-74 | 5.45×39mm | ||||
| AN-94 | 5.45×39mm | 60 donated by Russia in 2012[15] | |||
| QBZ-95 |  China | 5.8×42mm DBP87 | [16] | ||
| M4 Carbine | 5.56x45mm NATO | ||||
| Designated marksman rifles | |||||
| SVD Dragunov | 7.62×54mmR | [17] | |||
| MKEK JNG-90 |  Turkey | 7.62×51mm | [18] | ||
| Machine guns | |||||
| RPK | 7.62×39mm | ||||
| RPK-74 | 5.45×39mm | ||||
| PK machine gun | 7.62×54mmR | [19] | |||
| NSV | 12.7×108mm | ||||
| Rocket Launchers | |||||
| HAR-66 | [20] | ||||
| Name | Origin | Type | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanks | |||||
| T-72 | Main battle tank | 215[21] | At least one lost in the 2022 Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan clashes. | ||
| Armoured reconnaissance vehicle | |||||
| BRDM-2 | Reconnaissance vehicle | 30 | |||
| BRDM-2MS | Reconnaissance vehicle | 9 | |||
| Infantry fighting vehicles | |||||
| BMP-1 | Infantry fighting vehicle | 230 | All modernized. | ||
| BMP-2 | Infantry fighting vehicle | 90 | All modernized. | ||
| Armoured personnel carrier | |||||
| BTR-80 | Amphibious armoured personnel carrier | 10 | |||
| BTR-70 | Amphibious armoured personnel carrier | 45 | BTR-70 & BTR-70M | ||
| Humvee | Light armoured car | 50 | |||
| Dongfeng EQ2050 | Military light utility vehicle | Up to 65 | Showed the 30th anniversary of the country's independence at the parade. At least one was lost in the 2022 Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan clashes.[22] | ||
| Tigr | 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] | Infantry mobility vehicle | 40 | Announced on 23 October 2021.[26] | ||
| Towed artillery | |||||
| D-30 | 122mm howitzer | 72 | 35 are the M-30 standard. | ||
| 122mm howitzer | 35 | ||||
| D-1 | 152mm howitzer | 16 | |||
| 2A65 MSTA-B | 152mm howitzer | N/A | |||
| BS-3 | 100mm field gun | 18 | |||
| T-12 | 100mm Field gun | 18 | 100mm round | ||
| Self-propelled artillery | |||||
| 2S1 Gvozdika | 122mm Self-propelled howitzer | 18 | |||
| 2S9 Nona | 120mm Self-propelled mortar | 12[27] | |||
| Anti-tank weapons | |||||
| 9M14 Malyutka | Anti-tank missile | 26[28] | |||
| 9M113 Konkurs | Anti-tank missile | 12 | |||
| 9K111 Fagot | Anti-tank weapon | 24 | |||
| Anti aircraft guns and Air defense system | |||||
| / | 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 | Anti-aircraft autocannon | N/A | |||
| 9K35 Strela-10 | VM surface-to-air missile system | 4[31] | |||
| 9K32 Strela-2 | VM surface-to-air-missile system | N/A | |||
| ZSU-23-4 Shilka | Self-propelled anti aircraft gun | 24 | |||
| Flying Leopard 6C[32] | 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. | ||
| AZP S-60 | Anti-aircraft gun | 24 | |||
| Ballistic missiles | |||||
| Iskander-M | 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 | Multiple rocket launcher | 15[35] | |||
| BM-27 Uragan | Multiple rocket launcher | 6 | |||
| Utility vehicles | |||||
| Ford Ranger | Pickup truck-attacking defender | 45[36] | Showed the 30th anniversary of the country's independence at the parade. | ||
| Polaris | Quad | 44 | |||
| Toyota Hilux | Pick up truck | 45 | |||
| UAZ Hunter | / | Pick up truck | Up to 140 | Supported by Russia as military gift which presented on 15 January 2019. | |
| KamazAZ-43114 | 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. | ||
| KamAZ-53215[37] | 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. | ||
| KamAZ-5350KamAZ-4350 | Freight carrier | N/A | Some of them is taken for free from Russia, others all purchased. | ||
| Shaanxi SX2190 | Off-road vehicle | N/A | |||