Editing Armed Forces of Tajikistan (section)

== Branches ==

=== Army ===
{{main|Tajik Ground Forces}}
[[File:Tajik National Army members 01.jpg|thumb|Tajik National Army members]]
During the Tajik civil war (1992–1993), the Russian government had around 22,000 to 25,000 troops stationed in Tajikistan to help the regime as part of a defense agreement, which is why the Tajik government was able to survive the war. The war was often thought to have been started by [[Islamic fundamentalist]]s, but more accurately, it was a war between the regional clans and ethnic groups.

By the mid-1990s, the National Army numbered to around 3,000. The majority of the officer corps were Russian, mostly veterans of the war in [[Afghanistan]]. The Ministry of Defense of Russia continued providing material support for the National Army. It was especially difficult for the Army to create its own military force because many Tajiks preferred to serve in the [[Russian Army]], due to the higher pay. Because of military opposition in the country, the regime had the largest military buildup in the Central Asian region. As of 1997, Tajikistan had two motorized rifle brigades (one of them is a training brigade), a special operations brigade and detachment (all primarily intended for the protection of the ruling regime), and a combined aviation squadron. Tajikistan further had a basic set of units and sub-units that provide operational, technical, and logistic support.

[[File:Парад в честь 70-летия Великой Победы - 37.jpg|thumb|Contingent from the Tajik military during the [[2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade|Moscow Victory Day Parade]], 9 May 2015]]

The Tajikistan army in 2007 had two motorized rifle brigades, one mountain brigade, one artillery brigade, one airborne assault brigade, one airborne assault detachment, and one [[surface-to-air missile]] regiment.

=== Air Force ===
{{main|Tajik Air Force}}

Throughout the 1990s, the military did not have an air force and relied on the [[Russian Air Force]] for air defense, however, the government planned on making one aviation squadron. In 2007, the Air Force had 800 troops and 12 helicopters. The organizational structure of the Air Force is unknown. Tajik airspace is patrolled by the Russian Air Force.

The Tajik Air Force remains small as Dushanbe doesn't expect an attack on Tajikistan from the air, and that Russian Air Force units at Gissar in Tajikistan and other such Russian contingents in Kazakhstan would detect any such assault. Tajikistan is also patrolled by Russian aircraft as part of the [[Joint CIS Air Defense System]]. The air force is mostly used for search and rescue missions, transportation, and the occasional attack on militant groups.

For funding, the government relied upon modest foreign funds. In February 2013, a [[Armed Forces Day (Tajikistan)|20th anniversary parade]] occurred in Dushanbe, celebrating the creation of the armed forces. During the parade, 20 helicopters flew over the city. India made a deal in which the Tajik and Russian Air Forces share an air base. The base is commanded jointly by Indian, Tajik, and Russian personnel, who rotate units there periodically.<ref>{{cite web |author=John Pike |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/centralasia/tajik-airforce.htm |title=Tajikistan- Air Force |publisher=GlobalSecurity.org |access-date=22 September 2013 |archive-date=22 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122025304/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/centralasia/tajik-airforce.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Presidential National Guardsman.jpg|thumb|A National Guardsmen.]]Because of the civil war, air force development was slow. The first equipment to arrive was 10 MI-8MTBs and 5 MI-24 in 1993 based at Dushanbe. The first transport aircraft were AN-24s(?) and AN-26s(?) were supplied in 1996. A plan from the 1990s to acquire SU-25s from Belarus to form an attack squadron did not occur. However, Moscow did help bolster the Tajik's helicopter contingents in 2006–07 by giving them six [[Mil Mi-8]] and [[Mil Mi-24 Hind]] attack helicopters. It also provided four [[L-39 Albatros]].

An accident occurred on 6 October 2010 when a [[Mil Mi-8|Mi-8]], military helicopter from the Tajik National Guard crashed in the [[Rasht Valley]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://planecrashinfo.com/2010/2010-36.htm |author=Richard Kebabjian |title=Accident Details |publisher=PlaneCrashInfo.com |access-date=22 September 2013 |archive-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927113200/http://planecrashinfo.com/2010/2010-36.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> close to [[Ezgand]] and [[Tavildara]]. The helicopter got caught in some power lines while attempting to land. The helicopter caught fire and crashed without survivors. This is the deadliest accident in Tajik aviation since 1997.

=== Mobile Forces ===
{{main|Tajik Mobile Forces}}

The Mobile Forces are the airborne troops of the armed forces. Similar to the [[Russian Airborne Troops]], whom they perform training with, the Mobile Forces were created with no increase in military personnel by transferring a unit of the National Army. Although they are called [[paratrooper]]s, the Mobile Forces often deploy out of helicopters, as the Tajik Air Force has few planes. On 4 August 2007, the Ministry of Defence created a [[Paratroopers' Day (Tajikistan)|Paratroopers' Day]] to celebrate the Mobile Forces.