Military of Turkmenistan The Armed Forces of Turkmenistan ( ) consists of an Army , Navy , Air and Air Defense Forces , Border Troops , and Internal Troops , and a National Guard . After the fall of the Soviet Union , significant elements of the Soviet Armed Forces Turkestan Military District remained on Turkmen soil , including several motor rifle divisions . In June 1992 , the new Russia n government signed a bilateral defence treaty with Turkmenistan , encouraging the new Turkmen government to create its own armed forces but stipulating that they were to be placed under joint command . The Library of Congress Country Studies said that ' the Treaty on Joint Measures signed by Russia and Turkmenistan in July 1992 provided for the Russian Federation to act as guarantor of Turkmenistan ' s security and made former Soviet army units in the republic the basis of the new national armed forces . The treaty stipulated that , apart from border troops and air force and air defense units remaining under Russian control , the entire armed forces would be under joint command , which would gradually devolve to exclusive command by Turkmenistan over a period of ten years . For a transitional period of five years , Russia would provide logistical support and pay Turkmenistan for the right to maintain special installations , while Turkmenistan would bear the costs of housing , utilities , and administration . ' CAST ' s " Moscow Defence Brief " said that ' . . In 1992 - 1993 Turkmenistan attempted to create a small national armed force based on the former 52nd Army ( Soviet Union ) , which was located in the country and depended on support from Russia . Of the 300 formations and units , numbering 110 , 000 people , 200 were transferred to the command of Turkmenistan , 70 remained under Russia ' s jurisdiction , and 30 were either withdrawn or demobilized . " In 1994 , the chief of staff and first deputy minister of defense was Major General Annamurat Soltanov , a career officer who had served in Cuba and Afghanistan ; another deputy minister of defense , Major General Begdzhan Niyazov , had been a law enforcement administrator prior to his appointment . Russian commanders included Major General Viktor Zavarzin , chief of staff and first deputy commander of the Separate Combined - Arms Army of Turkmenistan , and commander of the Separate Combined - Arms Army of Turkmenistan and deputy minister of defense Lieutenant General Nikolai Kormiltsev . Russian Major General Vladislav Shunevich served together with Turkmen Major General Akmurad Kabulov as joint commanders of the border troops in the Turkmen Border Guard . Jane ' s Information Group said in 2009 that " Turkmenistan ' s military is , even by the standards of Central Asia , poorly maintained and funded . " State Security Council . The State Security Council is the most important defence decision - making body in the country . The 1995 Law on defence says that the President of Turkmenistan defines the powers of the Security Council . The Security Council is mentioned in the 2003 Constitution of Turkmenistan but not in the 1992 constitution , and it ' s only mentioned that the Security Council is guided by the president . The Council was chaired by the former President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov until his death , while Minister of Defence Agageldi Mämmetgeldiýew acts as its secretary . Following the death of Niyazov , the Security Council announced Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow as his interim successor . Ground Forces . The Turkmen military inherited several motor rifle divisions from the Soviet Armed Forces Turkestan Military District , forming the basis of the Turkmen ground forces . Among them was the 58th Motor Rifle Division at Kyzyl - Arvat . Interim Russian commanders in the first half of the 1990s included Major General Viktor Zavarzin , chief of staff and first deputy commander of the Separate Combined - Arms Army of Turkmenistan , and commander of the Separate Combined - Arms Army of Turkmenistan and deputy minister of defence Lieutenant General Nikolai Kormiltsev . Today the ground forces include the 2nd , 3rd , 11th , and 22nd Motor Rifle Divisions . The 11th Motor Rifle Division is the former Soviet 88th Motor Rifle Division . The 11th ( according to other sources 357th ) MSD behalf of Sultan Sanjar ( former Soviet 88th MSD ; Kushka officially - Serhetabat ) . It was reported in January 2007 that on the Caspian Sea and the coastal zone to a depth of 350 kilometers , and on the Turkmen - Iranian border is located about 90 % of the Army ( 22nd Motorized Division on the Caspian coast , 2nd and 3rd motorized divisions on the Turkmen - Iranian border , 11th Motorized Division on the Tajik - Afghan border ) . The military ranks have reverted to traditional names and structure , and are now : The rank of a marshal has also apparently been reintroduced . The real cash payment to the warrior rank in the army is about US $ 1 . 5 - 3 ( 2005 rates ) per month . Only some of the conscript ' s time in the military is occupied with military service , the rest being occupied with " labour " ( half a day ) and " self - improvement " ( 2 – 3 hours a day ) by reciting traditional Turkoman texts , learning songs and playing music . Equipment . The number of vehicles is around 2 , 000 , the number of tanks is around 700 and the number of artillery pieces is around 560 . Turkmen ground forces equipment includes 702 T - 72 , and 10 T - 90 , ordered in 2009 for approximately $ 30 million . AIFV / APC include BTR - 60 / BTR - 70 / BTR - 80 - 829 , BMP - 1 / BMP - 2 - 930 , BRM - 1 12 , and BRDM - 2 - 170 . Artillery . Self - Propelled Multiple launch Rocket Systems Towed Guns Mortars Air Force . The IISS in 2012 said the Air Force had 3 , 000 personnel with 94 combat capable aircraft . The total number of aircraft is around 120 . It said there were two fighter / ground attack squadrons with MiG - 29 / MiG - 29UB ( total of 24 both types ) , Sukhoi Su - 17 Fitter - Bs ( 65 ) and two Sukhoi Su - 25 Frogfoots ( with 41 more being refurbished ) . It reported one transport squadron with Antonov An - 26 ' Curl ' ( 1 ) , and Mi - 8s and Mi - 24s ( 8 and 10 listed in service respectively ) . Training units had Sukhoi Su - 7 Fitter - As ( 3 listed in service ) and L - 39 Albatross . Air defence missile units had SA - 2 , SA - 3 , and SA - 5 . Units : Border Guard . Naval Forces . Turkmen naval forces are currently directed by the Border Guard Service and consist of around 700 servicemen and sixteen patrol boats . The Congressional Research Service , citing the International Institute for Strategic Studies , reports a number of six patrol boats . The International Institute for Strategic Studies reported in 2007 that Turkmenistan intended to form a navy and had a minor base at Turkmenbashy with one USCG Point class cutter and five Kalkan - class patrol vessel s . Jane ' s Fighting Ships 2001 - 2002 reported that the Point - class cutter was the " Merjin , " PB - 129 , ( ex " Point Jackson , " 82378 ) , which was transferred on 30 May 2000 . The country acquired four missile boats in 2011 . In 2012 , Turkmenistan announced its first naval exercises in the Caspian Sea programmed for early September . Named Khazar - 2012 ( " Khazar " is the Turkmen name of the Caspian Sea ) , these tactical exercises came after a summer of somewhat heightened tensions with Azerbaijan over natural gas field s in a contested part of the sea .