Central Asia Diversifies and Indigenizes Defense Procurement to Limit Reliance on Moscow

Central Asia Diversifies and Indigenizes Defense Procurement to Limit Reliance on Moscow

Executive Summary: On January 13, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced plans to revise Uzbekistan’s 2018 Defense Doctrine, signaling a major modernization shift centered on artificial intelligence (AI), drones, and cyberwarfare, alongside efforts to expand domestic defense industrial capacity. The reform reflects a broader Central Asian trend of reducing reliance on Russia’s legacy security architecture, as states reassess dependence on…