ASTANA — Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issued a two-year deadline for the comprehensive modernization of Kazakhstan’s armed forces. The directive comes as the country allocated over $6 billion to security and defense in 2026, an increase of more than $700 million from 2025.

Kazakhstan has no active border disputes or immediate external kinetic threats. The government is pursuing an upgrade of its military capabilities, including the establishment of a specialized military AI unit and new international defense partnerships.

In 2025, the Chinese company Yesil Technology Company pledged to invest $12 million to establish a drone production facility in Kazakhstan with support from JSC NC Kazakh Invest. Kazakhstan also signed a defense industry deal with Turkiye to produce ANKA unmanned aerial vehicles domestically.

China has become a growing supplier of defense-related electronics to Kazakhstan. According to China's General Administration of Customs, exports of unmanned aircraft weighing 250 grams to 7 kilograms rose from $3.7 million in 2022 to $9.7 million in 2024, while exports of larger drones (25 kg to 150 kg) increased from $100,000 in 2023 to $1.31 million in 2024. Shipments of radio navigational aid apparatuses grew from $12.93 million in 2022 to $48.18 million in 2025, and semiconductor-based transducers surged from $370,000 in 2023 to $20.5 million in 2025. Exports of electronic integrated circuits (amplifiers) rose from $188,000 in 2023 to $11.6 million in 2025, and shipments of Common High Priority List items increased from $610 million in 2022 to $931 million in 2025.

Kazakhstan remains heavily reliant on Russian arms, which accounted for 88 percent of its arms imports, according to available data. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranks Kazakhstan as the 26th-largest arms importer globally, responsible for 0.9 percent of worldwide arms imports. Kazakhstan is ranked 58th in the Global Firepower Index for 2026.

During the Informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States held in Turkistan, Kazakhstan, on May 15, 2026, Tokayev addressed regional security dynamics. “I would not agree with those who talk about the creation of a Turkic military alliance,” President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.