▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁U z bek istan ▁( ), ▁is ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁un ified ▁armed ▁forces ▁of ▁U z bek istan , ▁consisting ▁of ▁a ▁Gr ound ▁force , ▁Air ▁and ▁Air ▁Def ense ▁forces , ▁National ▁guard ▁ ▁a ▁Front ier ▁service . ▁and ▁a ▁Navy . ▁It ▁is ▁reported ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁largest , ▁and ▁the ▁strong est ▁in ▁Central ▁Asia . ▁ ▁U z bek istan ▁and ▁Russia ▁signed ▁a ▁mut ual ▁defence ▁p act ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁that ▁will ▁also ▁result ▁in ▁closer ▁military ▁co operation . ▁This ▁marked ▁a ▁stark ▁contrast ▁to ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁earlier , ▁when ▁the ▁US ▁appeared ▁to ▁be ▁U z bek istan ' s ▁fav oured ▁foreign ▁friend , ▁and ▁relations ▁with ▁Russia ▁were ▁cool er . ▁ ▁' The ▁country ▁[ has ] ▁also ▁began ▁professional izing ▁its ▁military , ▁an ▁effort ▁that ▁has ▁only ▁limited ▁success ▁and ▁err atic ▁government ▁support . ▁But ▁even ▁in ▁U z bek istan , ▁these ▁changes ▁represent ▁merely ▁a ▁mod est ▁beginning ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁benefits ▁are ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁el ite , ▁higher ▁read iness ▁form ations ▁rather ▁than ▁uniformly ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁entire ▁force . ▁The ▁U z bek ▁military ▁is ▁w oe fully ▁in ade qu ate , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁far ▁superior ▁to ▁its ▁neighb ours .' ▁U z bek ist ani ▁military , ▁by ▁far , ▁is ▁alongside ▁Kaz akh stan , ▁are ▁both ▁wealth y ▁and ▁quickly ▁developed ▁arms .