Tajikistan

Republic of Tajikistan

The Republic of Tajikistan (Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон) is an independent Central Asian republic, formerly a part of the Soviet Union. The nation declared itself independent as the USSR collapsed in 1991.

A civil war in Tajikistan raged from 1992 to 1997, pitting the government forces of President Rahmon Nabiyev against the United Tajik Opposition. Several disparate organizations made up the Opposition, including liberal democratic reformists and several Islamist groups (supported by the Afghan Taliban, Iran, and Pakistan, among others). A United Nations-sponsored peace accord was signed on June 27, 1997, effectively ending hostilities but leaving the nation's infrastructure devastated and as many as 100,000 people dead.

The Armed Forces of Tajikistan were not formally organized until 1994. At the time the USSR dissolved, some former Soviet units in Tajikistan were simply transferred to Russian control, while other units remained in Tajikistan under the command of Russian officers. During the civil war a peacekeeping force of CIS nations was present, and some Russian units have retained a presence in the country into the present era.

Presently the Tajikistan Armed Forces consist of the Land Forces, Mobile Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Presidential National Guard, and Security Forces (internal and border troops).

Camouflage Patterns of Tajikistan

• At the time the Armed Forces of Tajikistan were initially formed, both Soviet-era and new Russian camouflage uniforms were still being issued to Tajik conscripts. Of these, the Soviet VSR pattern seems to have survived the longest.

• Russian flora pattern camouflage was also being worn from around 1999-2000.

• Special units of the Tajik Ministry of Internal Affairs have worn the Russian MVD PFO blue tiger stripe pattern camouflage since 1994-1995.

• Circa 2005-2006, Soviet-style uniforms in Chinese woodland camouflage patterns began to be worn. Both the old design and the m81 copy have been documented in use.

• Tajik Border Guards have worn a Chinese made copy of the US tricolor desert camouflage pattern since 2005-2006.

• Another pattern in use with some Tajik units is the grey colorway of the six-color "chocolate chip" desert pattern, worn also by Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Afghanistan Border Guards.

• The Russian Berezhka (birch tree) pattern is also worn by Tajik Border Guard personnel.