Kazakh Ground Forces

Many large units of the Turkestan Military District was redeployed from the Turkmen SSR to Eastern Kazakhstan back in the 1960s. Immediately prior to its dissolution, the 40th Army consisted of the 78th Tank Division, the 5202nd Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment (prior to 1989, the 71st Motor Rifle Division), the 5203rd Storage Base in Ust-Kamenogorsk (prior to 1989, the 155th Motor Rifle Division), the 5204th Storage Bade at Karaganda (prior to 1989, the 203rd Zaporozhye Khingan Motor Rifle Division), the 69th Tank Division and the 10th Fortified Area.[2] The 69th Tank Division and the 10th Fortified Area were both disbanded in 1992.

The Kazakh Army was founded on 9 April 1993, by the order of Defense Minister Sagadat Nurmagambetov. It followed the enacting of the law, "On Defense and Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan", which is the legal basis for the Kazakh military structures.[3] The former Soviet structure of troops was preserved, with the Kazakh Army being made up of the Soviet 32nd Army, which had been serving in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic for many years before it came under Kazakh government control in May 1992.[4] That month, on the basis of the 5203rd Military Equipment Storage Base (formerly the 155th Motorized Rifle Division), the 511th Motorized Rifle Regiment was re-formed with a deployment in the settlement. Georgievka, Semipalatinsk Region.

In the middle of the 1990s, the Kazakh Ground Forces included the 1st Army Corps (HQ Semipalatinsk), the 68th Motor Rifle Division (Sary-Ozek in the Kyzylorda Province), 2 motor-rifle and one tank regiments and the 78th Tank Division (HQ Ayaguz).[5] While the 68th Division was called a motor-rifle formation, in equipment terms it had almost 300 tanks and about 500 armoured fighting vehicles. The 78th Tank Division had 350 tanks, 290 armoured fighting vehicles and 150 artillery pieces. The 210th Guards Training Center (often called the Division of Guards by Kazakh sources), had 6,000 soldiers and officers and 220 tanks and 220 artillery pieces, so was a strengthened division. In 1997, the 2nd Army Corps was created with headquarters in Almaty, under which all units and formations in the Almaty, Zhambyl and South Kazakhstan regions were transferred.

On 17 November 1997, the General Purpose Forces were formed.[6] In 2000, on the basis of the 35th Guards Airborne Assault Brigade, the Mobile Forces of the Armed Forces were created, which in 2003 were renamed into Airmobile Forces as part of the Ground Forces. In 2015, Airmobile Troops were renamed Air Assault Troops.[7][8] Since 2002, the ground forces have begun the transition to a brigade structure. In this regard, there was a process of disbandment of divisions and the creation of brigades on the basis of regiments.[9]

On July 6, 2000, military districts (Kazakh: әскери округтер) were created to control the ground forces:[10]

• Central Military District (HQ Karaganda)
• Eastern Military District (HQ Semey)
• Western Military District (HQ Atyrau)
• Southern Military District (HQ Taraz)

The Eastern Military District was formed on the basis of the administration of the 1st Army Corps.[11] The Directorate of the Southern Military District (Military Unit 03858) was created in Taraz on 15 September 2000, on the basis of the directorate of the 2nd Army Corps and the Directorate of the Ground Forces.[12][13] On 7 May 2003, the military districts were renamed into regional commands (Kazakh: өңірлік қолбасшылықтар)[14][15] Currently, the ground forces include four regional commands:[16]

• Regional Command "Astana" (HQ Karaganda)
• Regional Command "East" (HQ Semey)
• Regional Command "West" (HQ Atyrau)
• Regional Command "South" (HQ Taraz)

Each of the commands have the following general composition:[17]

• One mechanized division (comprising three tank regiments and one artillery regiment)
• One motor rifle division (comprising one tank brigade, two motor rifle regiments, and one artillery regiment)
• One training center with two motor rifle regiments
• One motor rifle training regiment
• One tank training regiment
• One artillery regiment
• Three independent motor rifle brigades
• Two artillery brigades
• One engineer brigade

It is located within the administrative boundaries of Akmola, Karagandy Province, Kostanay Province and North Kazakhstan. The command acts as the Supreme Commander's reserve. The District includes the following units:[18]

• 7th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade at Karaganda
• Reconnaissance Regiment at Aktas

• 401st Cannon Artillery Brigade at Ungurtas
• 402nd Rocket Artillery Brigade at Priozersk
• 403rd Anti-tank Artillery Brigade at Priozersk
• Training Center for Combat Training of Junior Specialists and the Reserve at Spassk
• Missile Forces and Artillery Training Center at Priozersk

The command has had the following commanders:

• Major General Vladimir Shatsky (April 2008–?)[18]
• Colonel Mereke Kuchekbaev (since 9 January 2020)[19]

It is located within the administrative boundaries of East Kazakhstan and Pavlodar Province (Families, Ust-Kamenogorsk, George, and Ayagoz Usharalsky Garrisons). The District has the following units:[18]

• 3rd Mechanized Brigade (formerly the 78th Tank Division) at Ayaguz
• 3rd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade at Usharal (Military Unit No.40398, formed on the basis of a motor rifle regiment of the 155th Motor Rifle Division)
• 4th Mechanized Brigade at Novo-Akhmirovo, Ust-Kamenogorsk (Military Unit No.27943)
• 8th Mechanized Brigade at Semey[20][21]
• 11th Tank Brigade at Ayagoz
• 34th Artillery Brigade at Usharal
• 101st Missile Brigade at Semey
• 102nd Rocket Artillery Brigade at Semey
• 103rd Cannon Artillery Brigade at Semey
• Separate Reconnaissance Regiment at Semey
• Separate Communications Brigade at Semey
• Artillery Brigade
• Air Defence Missile Brigade
• Three Storage Bases

The command has had the following commanders:[18]

• Lieutenant General Nikolai Pospelov (September 2008–?)
• Major General Asan Zhusupov (since September 2019)[22]

It is located within the administrative boundaries of the West Kazakhstan Province, Aktobe Province, Atyrau Province and Mangystau Province. The main task is ensuring the integrity of state borders, territorial integrity, sovereignty and economic interests of Kazakhstan in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea. The District has the following units:[18]

• 100th Artillery Brigade at Aktobe
• Separate Motorized Rifle Battalion at Aktobe
• 390th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade at Aktau
• Separate Reconnaissance Regiment at Atyrau
• Separate Motorized Rifle Battalion at Beineu
• Separate Motor Rifle Brigade
• Artillery Brigade

The command has had the following commanders:[18]

• General Alimzhan Erniyazov (2008–?)

It is located within the administrative boundaries of Almaty Province, Zhambyl Province, South Kazakhstan Province and Kyzylorda Province. The district's main task is ensuring security in the south-eastern borders of the country. The District includes the following:[18]

• 5th Mountain Rifle Brigade at Taraz
  • Separate Motor Rifle Battalion at Lugovoi
  • Separate Tank Battalion at Lugovoi
  • Separate Reconnaissance Battalion at Lugovoi
  • Separate Motor Rifle Battalion at Merke
• 6th Mechanized Brigade at Shymkent
• Separate Mountain-Jaeger Regiment
• Otar Military Base
  • 12th Mechanized Brigade[23][24][25]
  • 54th Guards Artillery Brigade
  • 23rd Engineer Brigade
  • Training Center of the Ground Forces named after Karasai Batyr
• 221st Separate Communications Brigade at Taraz
• 232nd Engineer Brigade at Kapchagai

The command has had the following commanders:[18]

• General Uali Elamanov (2003—2004)

• General Bakhtiyar Syzdykov (2004—2007)
• General Bulat Darbekov (2007—2008)
• General Alikhan Dzharbulov (2008–?)
• Major General Talgat Koibakov (2012–2016)
• Major General Marat Khusainov (2016–2019)
• Major General Kaidar Karakulov (since 2019)

Cadets of the military institute on Red Square during a 2015 Victory Day parade in Moscow

The Military Institute of the Kazakh Ground Forces (Kazakh: Qurlyq áskerleriniń áskerı ınstıtýty / Құрлық әскерлерінің әскери институты) is the main educational institute of the Ground Forces, and one of the leading Kazakh military academies. It has many notable alumni, including Lieutenant General Murat Maikeyev, Colonel General Saken Zhasuzakov and Major General Abibilla Kudayberdiev.[34]

The training of junior specialists of rank and file in military accounting specialties for the Ground Forces is carried out in the following training centers:

• Training Center for Junior Specialists of the Kazakh Ground Forces named for Karasai Batyr – Jambyl Region[35]
• Training Center for Combat Training of Junior Specialists and the Reserve of the Ground Forces – Spassk, Karaganda[36]
• Training Center of the Missile Forces and Artillery – Priozersk, Karaganda

The Cadet Corps named after Shoqan Walikhanov is an institution of the ministry of defense was formed on 1 July 1996 as a secondary school that prepared Kazakh youth for service in the military. A month after its formation, the corps had 96 enlisted cadets, most of whom came from the Alma-Ata Higher All-Arms Command School. On its first graduation day in 1999, the corps received its own battle flag by the then head of the corps, Colonel Kuangaliev and defense minister Mukhtar Altynbayev. The corps is currently based in the city of Shchuchinsk in the Akmola Region.[37][38]

Some of Kazakhstan's officers have trained at the United States Military Academy at West Point.