Indian army trains Turkmenistan Special Forces


The Indian Army has started training of Turkmenistan Special Forces in combat free fall as a precursor to a series of customized courses to follow and help build capability of the Turkmenistan Special Forces.
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Indian instructors show the position to take after jumping from the HAL Dhruv helicopter (Picture source: Twitter account of the Indian army)


The Armed Forces of Turkmenistan, known informally as the Turkmen National Army, consists of the Ground Forces, the Air Force and Air Defense Forces, Navy, and other independent formations (Border Troops, Internal Troops and National Guard). Special forces appears to be a recent addition, hence the lack of details about their composition.

Turkmenistan's military is considered to be the most neutral of all former republics of the Soviet Union. The country's military did not sign the Tashkent Treaty in May 1992, becoming an observer in the Council of Ministers of Defense of the CIS. Turkmenistan's first military doctrine was adopted in 1994 enforcing this. The neutral policy of Turkmenistan was also emphasized in relation to the 1996 Afghan War, maintaining an even relationship with both the Taliban and the Afghan government. Following the events of 9/11, coalition troops did not appear on Turkmen territory, in particular, when President Niyazov refused to provide the German government with a base to store German aircraft, arguing that the country intends to continue to follow the principles of neutrality. In 2002, a "labor army" was created by Niyazov's orders which saw the creation of specialized labor military units. Soldiers in these units began to be sent from military units to enterprises, construction sites and hospitals as cheap labor, being removed from the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense. Jane's Information Group wrote in 2009 that "Turkmenistan's military is, even by the standards of Central Asia, poorly maintained and funded."

Weeks after he was inaugurated for a first term, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov announced his decision to endorse the country’s second military doctrine, officially declaring neutrality and stating that the border with Afghanistan will be a national security priority. In 2016, a new military doctrine was adopted by Berdimuhamedov. In November 2018, President Berdimuhamedov reiterated this at a session of the State Security Council.


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Indian instructor jumping from a HAL Dhruv helicopter (Picture source: Twitter account of the Indian army)