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Azerbaijan misusing military budget - paper
Gun, Baku
29 Jul 06
Excerpt from report by Eltac Isazada in Azerbaijani newspaper Gun on
29 July headlined "Our tank has set in motion" and subheaded "While
Azerbaijan is spending its military budget on construction and repair
work, cash-strapped Armenia is spending money on more up-to-date
weapons"
Azerbaijan's military spending is rapidly growing. While our military
budget totalled 330m dollars just a year ago, the inflow of oil money
into Azerbaijan has made it possible to double this figure. Our
military spending reached 660m dollars after it increased by another
60m dollars a while ago. It is expected to total at least 1bn dollars
next year.
But in general, our military budget is not fulfilling its true
functions in Azerbaijan. It has become a political tool. The
authorities justify the growing military spending with the Armenian
occupation of Azerbaijani territories.
These days we often hear the commander-in-chef, the defence minister
and other officials saying that our military spending will
increase. Even President Ilham Aliyev has openly said that the rise in
military spending is connected with Armenia. Aliyev has repeatedly
said on his visits to Azerbaijani regions and during the opening
ceremonies of military facilities that Azerbaijan's military budget
will increase and equal Armenia's overall state budget.
In recent years, the additional funds allocated to the military have
been spent more on some construction and repair work, not on improving
our army's defence capability and on the purchase of military
hardware. And some of the budget funds are spent on the purchase of
tables, chairs, cupboards and other equipment for our soldiers and
officers.
As one can see in the draft military budget, 73 per cent (194m manats
[230m dollars]) of the additional funds allocated to the military will
be spent on the purchase of equipment and hardware. For instance, 200m
dollars of this year's 660m-dollar military budget will be spent only
on the purchase of equipment.
[Passage omitted: it is impossible to improve the combat readiness of
an army by carrying out construction work in military bases]
Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry recently purchased nearly 1,000 Kamaz
trucks, pieces of sanitary-medical and communications equipment from
Russia.
One more interesting point is that most of the arms and military
hardware the government buys from abroad were produced back in the
1950s and 1960s. Even Armenia, which is at war with Azerbaijan, and
neighbouring Georgia are ahead of us on this issue. Unlike Azerbaijan,
these two countries buy more up-to-date weapons and military hardware.
Under the UN quota, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uganda recently bought
T-72 tanks for at least 900,000 dollars each, says military expert
Uzeyir Cafarov. But the technical capabilities of the tanks purchased
by Georgia and Uganda were better than those purchased by Azerbaijan.
While Georgia and Uganda bought T-72-II and T-72-III tanks, Azerbaijan
bought T-72-I tanks. As for Armenia, this country purchased Category A
T-80 tanks, which have greater capabilities.
Under the UN quota, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan can have 220 tanks
each. The prices of weapons and ammunition differ depending on their
military and technical capabilities. Therefore, these three countries
are free to buy weapons and military hardware that are of the same
kind, but differ in terms of their capabilities.
This means that international law allows us to spend a lot of money on
the most up-to-date weapons. The Armenians are making proper use of
this opportunity. But Azerbaijan is spending funds on the cheapest
weapons under the pretext of saving budget money.
In other words, even if Azerbaijan's military budget grows larger than
Armenia's overall state budget, there is little hope that this will
help improve the combat readiness of our army. Because in fact,
Azerbaijan is spending its growing military budget on the construction
of military facilities and new centres [as given], as well as on the
purchase of cheap and old weapons, while cash-strapped Armenia prefers
more up-to-date weapons.
[Passage omitted: experts say Azerbaijan should reconsider this
policy]
Gun, Baku
29 Jul 06
Excerpt from report by Eltac Isazada in Azerbaijani newspaper Gun on
29 July headlined "Our tank has set in motion" and subheaded "While
Azerbaijan is spending its military budget on construction and repair
work, cash-strapped Armenia is spending money on more up-to-date
weapons"
Azerbaijan's military spending is rapidly growing. While our military
budget totalled 330m dollars just a year ago, the inflow of oil money
into Azerbaijan has made it possible to double this figure. Our
military spending reached 660m dollars after it increased by another
60m dollars a while ago. It is expected to total at least 1bn dollars
next year.
But in general, our military budget is not fulfilling its true
functions in Azerbaijan. It has become a political tool. The
authorities justify the growing military spending with the Armenian
occupation of Azerbaijani territories.
These days we often hear the commander-in-chef, the defence minister
and other officials saying that our military spending will
increase. Even President Ilham Aliyev has openly said that the rise in
military spending is connected with Armenia. Aliyev has repeatedly
said on his visits to Azerbaijani regions and during the opening
ceremonies of military facilities that Azerbaijan's military budget
will increase and equal Armenia's overall state budget.
In recent years, the additional funds allocated to the military have
been spent more on some construction and repair work, not on improving
our army's defence capability and on the purchase of military
hardware. And some of the budget funds are spent on the purchase of
tables, chairs, cupboards and other equipment for our soldiers and
officers.
As one can see in the draft military budget, 73 per cent (194m manats
[230m dollars]) of the additional funds allocated to the military will
be spent on the purchase of equipment and hardware. For instance, 200m
dollars of this year's 660m-dollar military budget will be spent only
on the purchase of equipment.
[Passage omitted: it is impossible to improve the combat readiness of
an army by carrying out construction work in military bases]
Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry recently purchased nearly 1,000 Kamaz
trucks, pieces of sanitary-medical and communications equipment from
Russia.
One more interesting point is that most of the arms and military
hardware the government buys from abroad were produced back in the
1950s and 1960s. Even Armenia, which is at war with Azerbaijan, and
neighbouring Georgia are ahead of us on this issue. Unlike Azerbaijan,
these two countries buy more up-to-date weapons and military hardware.
Under the UN quota, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uganda recently bought
T-72 tanks for at least 900,000 dollars each, says military expert
Uzeyir Cafarov. But the technical capabilities of the tanks purchased
by Georgia and Uganda were better than those purchased by Azerbaijan.
While Georgia and Uganda bought T-72-II and T-72-III tanks, Azerbaijan
bought T-72-I tanks. As for Armenia, this country purchased Category A
T-80 tanks, which have greater capabilities.
Under the UN quota, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan can have 220 tanks
each. The prices of weapons and ammunition differ depending on their
military and technical capabilities. Therefore, these three countries
are free to buy weapons and military hardware that are of the same
kind, but differ in terms of their capabilities.
This means that international law allows us to spend a lot of money on
the most up-to-date weapons. The Armenians are making proper use of
this opportunity. But Azerbaijan is spending funds on the cheapest
weapons under the pretext of saving budget money.
In other words, even if Azerbaijan's military budget grows larger than
Armenia's overall state budget, there is little hope that this will
help improve the combat readiness of our army. Because in fact,
Azerbaijan is spending its growing military budget on the construction
of military facilities and new centres [as given], as well as on the
purchase of cheap and old weapons, while cash-strapped Armenia prefers
more up-to-date weapons.
[Passage omitted: experts say Azerbaijan should reconsider this
policy]