Uzbekistan’s army must be adapted to modern combat conditions

Uzbekistan’s Armed Forces must always be ready to defend the people. For this reason, the country’s Defense Doctrine and National Security Concept will be revised. In addition, monthly salaries of enlisted soldiers and sergeants will be increased. President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Shavkat Mirziyoyev made these remarks at an expanded meeting of the Security Council on strengthening the country’s military security and defense held on January 13.

At the meeting, the President noted that both the nature and scale of modern threats and risks are changing rapidly, placing greater demands on the defense and security sectors. In this context, he said the time had come to review the Defense Doctrine adopted eight years ago and the National Security Concept approved in 1997.

“One thing must be clearly understood: the nature of modern warfare has fundamentally changed. Any country that believes it can achieve victory solely by relying on the number of tanks, aircraft, or soldiers is deeply mistaken. Today’s conflicts are conducted through artificial intelligence, digital command systems, long-range precision strike capabilities, cyber and robotic technologies, as well as political and economic pressure,” the President said.

He emphasized that peace and stability are becoming the most valuable assets and should never be taken for granted. To safeguard these assets, every sector and institution must shift to a proactive mode of operation, responding to threats and risks in advance.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief outlined the most important long-term priorities, stressing that special attention will be paid to further improving the system of military personnel training.

“It should not be forgotten that modernizing the system of military education and personnel training is the main prerequisite for shaping a new image of the army,” the President said.

The new Defense Doctrine will preserve Uzbekistan’s non-aligned status and its decision not to join any military blocs. It will continue to rely on multilateral diplomacy and ensure development based on high technology, military independence, and regional stability.

“Constantly analyzing the regional and global situation and strengthening the capacity of our national army is a demand of our time. The Uzbek army must always be ready to defend the people, which means it must be agile, high-tech, and adapted to new combat conditions,” the President said.

In this regard, special attention will be given to equipping the armed forces with artificial intelligence-based robotic systems, unmanned platforms, light military equipment, modern weapons, and advanced reconnaissance tools.

The President also noted that further development of the defense industry and the introduction of digital technologies and artificial intelligence at defense enterprises should become one of the key priorities.

In addition, conscripts will be given the opportunity to take university entrance examinations while serving in their military units.

According to the President, compulsory military service should not be limited to physical and combat training alone, but should also serve as a stage for preparing young people for the labor market and independent professions, helping them find a stable place in society.

A completely new system will be introduced to ensure that young servicemen acquire at least one profession during their service. Based on the main areas and specialties of military units, vocational training programs lasting three to six months will be developed. Upon completion, servicemen will take qualification exams and receive professional certificates.

Each year, 5,000 soldiers will be selected for training under the “One Million Programmers” and “Five Million Artificial Intelligence Leaders” programs.

Servicemen will also be allowed to sit entrance examinations for higher education institutions at their military units during their period of compulsory service. Those who successfully pass the tests and gain admission will begin their university studies immediately after completing their military service.

At the same time, young people returning from the army who wish to pursue higher education will have their costs for obtaining foreign language and subject certificates covered. Those admitted to universities on a contract basis will be eligible for interest-free education loans.

Additional incentives will also be provided to ensure employment for young people returning from military service. In particular, the state will cover 6 percent of loan costs for young people wishing to start businesses. For those seeking employment in state institutions, a 10 percent bonus will be added to test scores administered by the Agency for Public Service Development. Young people aiming to work in the private sector will have the costs of vocational training and certification covered.

“In short, compulsory military service must become a pathway to success for young people,” the President said.

In addition, starting from April 1, the length-of-service allowance for officers of the Ministry of Defense will be doubled. Monthly salaries of enlisted soldiers and sergeants serving under contract will also be increased by 10 percent.

“Recognizing the service of military personnel and ensuring social protection for their families and military pensioners must always remain at the center of our attention,” the President said, announcing further major measures in this area.

Salaries of civilian employees of territorial defense departments and units will be increased by 20 percent this year and by a further 50 percent next year.

For servicemen with more than 30 years of service, the portion of salary taken into account for pension calculations will be raised from 75 percent to 100 percent.

Housing construction for military personnel will also be expanded. Relevant officials have been instructed to draft and submit to parliament a bill regulating pension provision for military personnel.

For more details, watch the full video report on QALAMPIR.UZ’s YouTube page.