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  • BAKU: Azeri Military Stronger Than Armenian, British Think-Tank's Re

    AZERI MILITARY STRONGER THAN ARMENIAN, BRITISH THINK-TANK'S REPORT SHOWS

    AzerNews Weekly
    Feb 4 2009
    Azerbaijan

    An assessment of the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia - the two
    South Caucasus republics locked in long-standing conflict - has been
    drawn up by a London-based think-tank in its annual report evaluating
    military potential of 170 countries worldwide.The Military Balance 2009
    report released by the International Institute for Strategic Studies
    says Azerbaijan has an army of about 67,000 men, while Armenia`s army
    has only 42,000, or about 35 per cent less.

    According to the report, Azerbaijan also surpasses Armenia for the
    number of reserve forces available for mobilization, with 300,000
    against 200,000 in the neighboring country. Most of the weaponry used
    by the two militaries is Russian-made.

    Moreover, Azerbaijan commands three times more tanks and armored
    vehicles than Armenia, possessing 320 and 470 items respectively. As
    for BMP combat vehicles, the difference is rather insignificant with
    127 against 104.

    The report also noted that Azerbaijan has 47 warplanes, a three-fold
    supremacy over Armenia. Both countries have mostly MIG-25, SU-24 and
    SU-25 fighter jets.

    Besides, Azerbaijan has six up-to-date drones of the Aerostar and
    Orbiter models. Armenia has no such aircraft, at all.

    With regard to rocket launchers, the report estimated that Grad
    facilities account for most of both countries` arsenal, but Azerbaijan
    also has 12 more up-to-date Smerch launchers, which were granted to
    the disposal of the Soviet troops in 1989.

    Regarding anti-tank weapons, Azerbaijan has about a ten-fold supremacy
    over Armenia.

    The two countries fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing
    of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper
    (Nagorno) Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance
    of international law. Peace talks have not yet resulted in resolving
    the conflict.

    Azerbaijani military expert Arif Yunus says Azerbaijan`s military power
    is indeed greater than that of Armenia. He pointed out, however, that
    Azerbaijan`s land is under occupation, and if the Azerbaijani army
    moves to free Upper Garabagh and adjacent districts, it could face
    tremendous losses. According to Yunus, this projection is not only
    because of military theories, as the attacker should have at least
    three times more power than the defending side, but also because the
    relief of Garabagh has peculiarities that could favor Armenian forces.

    "Since Garabagh is a mountainous area, at times it is possible to block
    a tank`s movement by means of just several mines. Operating warplanes
    in the mountains is also complicated. Possibly, there wouldn`t be major
    problems for the Azerbaijani troops in the Aghdam and Fuzuli districts,
    but the task could prove daunting in mountainous areas. Therefore,
    it`s not the quantity but the quality of the Azerbaijani troops that
    should be the main factor here and, in that sense, the capacities of
    the two countries are about the same," the expert maintained.

    Yunus also stressed that the British think-tank had not taken into
    account the military forces controlled by the self-proclaimed regime
    operating in Upper Garabagh.

    Further, he recalled the recent transfer of Russian arms and military
    equipment, worth $800 million to Armenia, that has drawn fire from
    Azerbaijan and sparked controversy. He alleged that if military action
    breaks out with Azerbaijan, it is not ruled out that Russian forced
    based in Armenia might provide assistance to the Armenian military.

    It is considered important that the International Institute for
    Strategic Studies indicated that there are 3,000 Russian forces in
    Armenia, along with 74 tanks, 18 modern MiG-29 warplanes and, finally,
    S-300 rockets.

    Azerbaijan keeps secret the quantity of its arms, but the
    commander-in-chief, President Ilham Aliyev, has repeatedly said the
    country`s military stands ready to liberate the occupied territories
    any time.
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