Armed Forces of Tajikistan: Webinar

On Tuesday, October 29th, we held a discussion about the latest Oxus Society research on the armed forces of Tajikistan.

Tajikistan’s strategic position is among the most complex in Central Asia, with its politics, security, and terrain dominated by the towering Pamir and Alay Mountains. These mountains, and the country’s complicated history, create significant economic and security divides across each of the different regions of the country.

Currently, Tajikistan ranks fifth among its Central Asian counterparts in several key military metrics, operating with the region’s smallest defence budget and possessing the fewest modern vehicles among the five states. Despite these limitations though, Tajikistan benefits from several key strategic advantages. It hosts Russia’s largest military base outside of the Russian Federation, boasts some of the most defensible terrain in the region, and receives substantial financial and military support from China, the European Union, India, Iran, and the United States, with this external assistance primarily aimed at bolstering Tajikistan’s border security and counter-terrorism capabilities.

The report is single chapter of a wider report examining the armed forces of Central Asia, with each chapter examining one of the five Central Asian republics. For access to the full interactive maps or the accompanying miniseries, links and information are available in the appendix of this chapter.

Panelists:

Edward Lemon is President of the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs.

Michael Hilliard is the Director of Defence & Security Analysis for the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs.

Michael S. Coffey is an Assistant Professor of History and Political Science at the College of Southern Maryland.

Bakhtiyor Safarov is founder of the firm Central Asia Consulting.

Derek Bisaccio is Lead Analyst, Defense Markets and Strategic Analysis at Forecast International.

You can join the webinar here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87934340244