January 14, Day of Defenders of the Motherland, marks the Armed Forces establishment day in Uzbekistan. This year the country will celebrate its 29th anniversary.

Joining the celebrations, we decided to provide some information about the armed forces of Uzbekistan.

According to Global Firepower Index 2020, Uzbekistan is ranked 52 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review.

The total number of manpower available in Uzbekistan is 13.3 million. Every year, the number of potential recruits increases by 601,000. Currently, 50,000 people are serving in the armed forces of Uzbekistan. 

The total number of aircraft in the air force of Uzbekistan is 185. 66 of them are fighters, 20 – attack aircraft, 18 military transport aircraft, 2 training aircraft and 79 helicopters.

Uzbekistan has a total of 420 tanks, 1,215 armored personnel carriers, IFVs, etc., 137 self-propelled artillery and 98 multiple rocket systems.

The naval forces are at the "zero" level, although Uzbekistan possesses a river fleet.

The Global Firepower Index is based on 55 indicators, including not only the total number of weapons but also their diversity. The rating formula allows smaller but more technologically advanced countries to compete with larger, but less technologically advanced countries. Geographical factors, logistical flexibility, natural resources, financial stability and local industry development are also present in the ranking. The presence of nuclear weapons is not taken into account in the ranking, and the lack of fleets for landlocked countries does not result in lower scores.

It was previously reported that on January 12, the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, visited the Armed Forces Academy and held an expanded meeting of the Security Council.

At the meeting, the President issued instructions for the further development of the armed forces and the strengthening of Uzbekistan’s defense capability, introducing modern information and communication technologies and innovations. In particular, ensuring cybersecurity, improving the activities of command and control bodies at all levels and enhancing the operational and combat training of troops through the introduction of automated control tools and complexes therein are among the most urgent tasks in the future.