Armed forces, personnel, equipment, deployments: the complete military file on Uzbekistan.
| Active personnel (est.) | 50,000 |
|---|---|
| World rank by personnel | #69 / 162 |
MCB · 53/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
A quiet quarter: no major shocks, no breakthroughs. The country's trajectory is set by structural forces larger than any single season.
The honest reading is steadiness — neither crisis nor windfall — with the long currents of demography, trade and institutions deciding more than any three months.
Armed Forces of Uzbekistan: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces; National Guard Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Security Troops, Border Guards, police (2024)
limited available information; estimated 50,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
the Uzbek Armed Forces use mainly Russian or Soviet-era armaments with smaller quantities of items from suppliers such as China, Türkiye, and the US; Uzbekistan has a small defense industry, which is involved in repairing and maintaining aircraft and armored vehicles, as well as producing light armored vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles/drones, and other military items (2025)
18-30 for voluntary/contract service for men and women; 18-27 years of age for compulsory military service for men with a 12-month service obligation (2025)
the military’s responsibilities include ensuring the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing its borders, and assisting with internal security; regional security and international terrorism are areas of concern; Uzbekistan joined the Russian-sponsored Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the 1990s but withdrew in 1999; it returned in 2006 but left again in 2012; although not part of CSTO, Uzbekistan continues to maintain defense ties with Russia, including joint military exercises and defense industrial cooperation; it also has defense ties with other regional countries, including Azerbaijan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Turkey; it is part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and participates in SCO training exercises (2025)
