Mongolian General Purpose Force

Mongolian General Purpose Force Монгол Улсын Ерөнхий Цэргийн Хүчин
Mongol tug in Sukhbaatar Square.
Active	1992 – present
Country	Mongolia
Allegiance	Ministry of Defence
Type	Army
Size	8,900 active personnel
Part of	Mongolian Armed Forces

General Purpose Force of the Mongolians (Mongolian: Монгол Улсын Ерөнхий Цэргийн Хүчин, Mongol Ulsyn Eronhii Tsergiin Hüchin) is the land force of the Armed Forces of the Mongolia, formed from parts of the former Mongolian People's Army in 1992.

At present Mongolia's armed forces have become more compact and professional since obligatory military service was replaced with the alternative between military and other service. The general purpose troops, a core of the armed forces, are the main force to defend the country by military means. In peacetime, the general purpose troops direct their activities toward ensuring the mobilization readiness of the Mongolian Armed Forces, providing military training for the population, forming personnel resources, and organizing the maintenance, protection and servicing of military equipment and material reserves. Depending on the organizational specifics of military units and organizations, the general purpose troops are divided into combat, on-combat-duty, training, training combat, and stockpile and service units.

As a result of reform processes started in 1997, main units of the Mongolian Armed Forces were reorganized into brigades. In peacetime, sub-units of brigades have a mixed personnel organization, i.e. of constant combat readiness, training, and under strength. At present, the general purpose troops of the armed forces comprise motor rifle brigades, artillery brigade, independent motor rifle battalion, independent combat aircraft unit and other combat and combat supply and service units.

The 016 Mechanised Brigade has been reported as the oldest formation of the Mongolian army, stationed at Sergelene near Ulan Bator.

In 1997 the Mongolian Armed Forces had in service 650 tanks, 120 light armored reconnaissance vehicles, 400 armored infantry fighting vehicles, 300 armored personnel carriers, 300 towed artillery, 130 multiple rocket launchers, 140 mortars, and 200 anti-tank guns.

Mongolia deployed its troops to peacekeeping operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with 1970’s Soviet-bloc weapons, transportation, and equipment. Although Mongolian troops are highly skilled with using these weapons and equipment, they are not interoperable with the rest of the coalition members. Except for the United States-provided Harris Corporation communications equipment, Mongolia had no other equipment which was interoperable.

On January 14–18, 2008, Chief of the General Staff of the MAF Lieutenant General Tsevegsuren Togoo signed an agreement for acquisition of equipment and vehicles from Russia for 120 million US dollars during his official visit to Moscow, Russia.