prior to August 2021, the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) were comprised of military, police, and other security elements:
Ministry of Defense: Afghan National Army ((ANA), Afghan Air Force, Afghan Army Special Security Forces (ASSF; includes ANA Special Operations Command, General Command Police Special Units (GCPSU), and the Special Mission Wing (SMW)), Afghanistan National Army Territorial Forces (ANA-TF, lightly-armed local security forces); Afghan Border Force (ABF); Afghan National Civil Order Force (ANCOF)
Ministry of Interior: Afghan Uniform (National) Police (AUP); Public Security Police (PSP); Afghan Border Police (ABP); Afghan Anti-Crime Police; Afghan Local Police; Afghan Public Protection Force; Special Security Forces
National Directorate of Security ((NDS), intelligence service) (2021)
Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan: Land Forces, Mobile Forces (airborne, mountain infantry troops), Air and Air Defense Forces; National Guard; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Internal Troops (reserves for Armed Forces in wartime); State Committee on National Security: Border Guard Forces (2020)
Military service age and obligation
not available
18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; 12-18 month conscript service obligation (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.2% of GDP (2019)
1% of GDP (2018)
0.9% of GDP (2017)
1% of GDP (2016)
1% of GDP (2015)
2.2% of GDP (2017)
2.2% of GDP (2016)
2.2% of GDP (2015)
2.1% of GDP (2014)
2.3% of GDP (2013)
Military and security service personnel strengths
not available; prior to August 2021, the ANDSF had approximately 300,000 personnel (180,000 Ministry of Defense; 120,000 Ministry of Interior)
the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan have approximately 9,500 active troops (8,000 Land and Mobile Forces; 1,500 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
prior to August 2021, the Afghan military inventory was mostly a mix of Soviet-era and more modern US and other foreign equipment; since 2010, the US was the leading supplier of arms to Afghanistan, followed by Russia (2021)
the Tajikistan Armed Forces' inventory is comprised of older Russian and Soviet-era equipment; it has received limited quantities of weapons systems since 2010, most of which was second-hand material from Russia (2020)
