Editing Defence Forces of Georgia (section)

=== 21st century ===
The [[Georgia Train and Equip Program]] (GTEP) training was conducted using [[U.S. Special Operations Forces]] and [[U.S. Marine Corps]] forces from May 2002 to May 2004. During this time approximately 2,600 Georgian soldiers, including a headquarters staff element and 5 tactical units, received training. Another assistance program, the [[Georgia Security and Stability Operations Program]] (Georgia SSOP), was launched in January 2005 as a continuation of the (GTEP) of 2002–2004. [[Georgian Kosovo contingent|Georgian contingents]] were involved in the [[Kosovo Force]] and continue to participate in the operations in [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]].

The DFG have been extensively reformed in the recent years to meet Georgia's aspirations to join NATO and for better response to the existing challenges such as the ongoing tensions in the unresolved separatist conflict areas in [[Abkhazia]] and [[South Ossetia]] as well as to the threats of global terrorism. Georgia also views a large-scale foreign invasion and the spillover of conflicts from Russia's [[North Caucasus]] as the worst potential near- and long-term scenarios, respectively.<ref>The Strategic Defense Review (2007), p. 77.</ref>

On 8 August 2008 the Georgian military conducted an operation in Georgia's breakaway region [[South Ossetia]] (see [[2008 South Ossetia War]]) in response to separatist attacks. The operation led to an armed conflict with forces from the [[Russian Federation]] and resulted in the defeat and expulsion of Georgian forces from South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Following the military operations, Russia recognized independence of the regions.

The military budget of Georgia increased from $411.83 million in 1991 to $1.07 billion in 2008. Currently the budget is $398.92 million.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Herre |first=Bastian |last2=Arriagada |first2=Pablo |date=2013-09-02 |title=Military Personnel and Spending |url=https://ourworldindata.org/military-personnel-spending |journal=Our World in Data |language=en}}</ref>