Military profile
Turkmenistan Military Strength
Turkmenistan ranks #82 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with 30,000 active personnel.
Turkmenistan armed forces in numbers
Personnel
- Active military personnel
- 30,000#81 of 145
- Reserve military personnel
- 0#84 of 145
- Paramilitary forces
- 5,000#88 of 145
- Army personnel
- 33,000#82 of 145
- Air force personnel
- 3,000#93 of 145
- Navy personnel
- 2,000#80 of 145
Air power
- Total military aircraft
- 86#78 of 145
- Fighter aircraft
- 24#58 of 145
- Attack aircraft
- 31#22 of 145
- Military helicopters
- 26#87 of 145
- Attack helicopters
- 10#47 of 145
Land forces
- Tanks
- 680#28 of 145
- Self-propelled artillery
- 73#45 of 145
- Towed artillery
- 457#24 of 145
- Rocket artillery
- 160#32 of 145
Naval power
- Aircraft carriers
- 0#8 of 113
- Destroyers
- 0#15 of 113
- Frigates
- 0#56 of 113
- Corvettes
- 0#47 of 113
- Submarines
- 0#44 of 113
- Patrol vessels
- 25#40 of 113
- Mine warfare vessels
- 0#53 of 113
Finance
- Purchasing power parity (GDP, PPP)
- $90.0 billion#91 of 145
Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).
Armed forces of Turkmenistan
Branches and forces
Armed Forces of Turkmenistan (aka Turkmen National Army): Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops, Turkmen (National) Police, Federal/State Border Guard Service (2025)
Personnel
estimated 35,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Service age and conscription
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service for men and volunteer service for men and women; 24-month conscript service obligation (2025)
Equipment and suppliers
the military's inventory is comprised largely of Russian/Soviet-era armaments with smaller quantities from suppliers such as Brazil, China, Italy, and Türkiye (2025)
Good to know
the military is responsible for external defense and works closely with the Border Service on protecting the country's borders; areas of emphasis for the military include border security, competition on the Caspian Sea, regional stability, and military modernization; while Turkmenistan has a policy of permanent and "positive" neutrality and has declined to participate in post-Soviet military groupings such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it has participated in multinational exercises and bilateral training with neighboring countries, including Russia and Uzbekistan; Turkmenistan joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1994, but it does not offer any military forces to NATO-led operations (2025)
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
2019: 1.9% · 2018: 1.8% · 2017: 1.8% · 2016: 1.8% · 2015: 1.5%
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).
Turkmenistan compared with its neighbours
| Country | Strength rank | Military spending |
|---|---|---|
| Turkmenistan | #82 | — |
 Uzbekistan | #62 | — |
 Iran | #17 | $7.4 billion |
 Afghanistan | #114 | $278 million |
 Kazakhstan | #63 | $1.3 billion |