The Scorpion 25th Special Forces Brigade () or known simply as Scorpion Spetsnaz (''Спецназ Скорпион'') is a specialized Kyrgyz military unit in the country's
Ground Forces
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
. It is now considered to be one of the best armed formations in the armed forces. Being special forces troops, they specialize in airborne combat, hand-to-hand combat, covert operations, as well as insurgent skills.
History
The brigade was founded on March 31, 1994, as the 525th Special Purpose company by order of the
Minister of Defense
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
Myrzakan Subanov
Myrzakan Usurkanovich Subanov ( ky, Мырзакан Усурканович (Усуркан уулу) Субанов, translit=Myrzaqan Usurqanovich (Usurqan uulu) Subanov; born 15 October 1944) is a Soviet- Kyrgyz military commander who served a ...
. Many officers in the company received combat experience in
Tajikistan
Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...
and
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA),, renamed the Republic of Afghanistan, in 1987, was the Afghan state during the one-party rule of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) from 1978 to 1992.
The PDPA came to power ...
. In 1995, a detachment of the company underwent monthly training sessions with the
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers, according to the US Army's definition, are personnel, past or present, in any unit that has the official designation "Ranger". The term is commonly used to include graduates of the US Army Ranger School, even if t ...
at
Fort Polk
Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, about 10 miles (15 km) east of Leesville and 30 miles (50 km) north of DeRidder in Beauregard Parish.
It was named to honor Leonidas Polk, the first ...
,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. The company was eventually expanded into a battalion, and later into a brigade with its current name. Between 1999–2000, the brigade participated in the
Batken Conflict
The Batken Conflict (, ) was a period of armed clashes between militants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and the Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan, with support to the latter being provided by the Uzbek Ground Forces. It was caused by incursi ...
, turning the tide of many battles with the militants.
Training
All officers who serve in the brigade are trained at the
Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School
The General V.F. Margelov Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne twice Red Banner Order of Suvorov Command School (RGVVDKU) () is a military educational institute of the Russian Ministry of Defense, situated in Ryazan, about southeast of Moscow. It was f ...
. Also, instructors from
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
are often invited to the brigade.
Commanders
* Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Kholodkov (1994-1996)
* Colonel Timur Dzhumanaliev (1996-1997)
* Colonel Artur Temirov (1997-2000)
* Colonel Akylbek Dononbaev (2000-2001)
* Colonel
Asanbek Alymkozhoev
Asanbek Tunguchpaevich Alymkozhoev (Kyrgyz: Асанбек Тунгучпаевич Алымкожоев; born 11 April 1956) is the former Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic. He was also the commander of the National ...
(2001-2002)
* Colonel
Taalaibek Omuraliev
Taalaibek Baryktabasovich Omuraliev ( ky, Таалайбек Барыктабасович (Барыктабас уулу) Өмүралиев, translit=Taalaybek Baryktabasovich (Baryktabas uulu) Ömüraliyev, russian: Таалайбек Бары ...
(2002-2004)
References
{{Reflist
Military units and formations of Kyrgyzstan
Military special forces brigades
1994 establishments in Kyrgyzstan
Military units and formations established in 1994