Border Guard
Turkmen naval forces are currently directed by the Border Guard Service and consist of around 700 servicemen and sixteen patrol boats. The Congressional Research Service, citing the International Institute of Strategic Studies, reports a number of six patrol boats.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies reported in 2007 that Turkmenistan intended to form a navy and had a minor base at Turkmenbashy with 1 USCG Point class cutter and 5 Kalkan-class patrol vessels. Jane's Fighting Ships 2001-2002 reported that the Point-class cutter was the Merjin, PB-129, (ex Point Jackson, 82378), which was transferred on 30 May 2000.
The country acquired four missile boats in 2011.
In 2012, Turkmenistan announced its first naval exercises in the Caspian Sea programmed for early September. Named Khazar-2012 (Khazar is the Turkmen name of the Caspian Sea), these tactical exercises comes after a summer of somewhat heightened tensions with Azerbaijan over natural gas fields in a contested part of the sea.
Read more about this topic: Military Of Turkmenistan
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