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news.az, Azerbaijan
July 31 2010
Russian authorities seem unwilling to annoy partners in Armenia
Sat 31 July 2010 | 07:07 GMT Text size:
S-300 air defense system News.Az interviews Alexei Nikolski,
correspondent of Russian Vedomosti
Why do you think Russian and Azerbaijani officials refuse to comment
on the information of Russian supplies of 3PK S-300 PMU-2 Favorit to
Azerbaijan you have used?
They have a right not to comment on the deals in the sphere of
military supplies, especially such complex and expensive ones. Russian
authorities seem not to be willing to annoy partners from Armenia in
public, as well.
Is this information reliable considering the fact that it was
dismissed by some representatives (though anonymous) of the Russian
military circles?
Well, the representative of Rosoboronexport said in open that he knows
nothing about the contract. Nonetheless, I still believe this
information is true.
Do you share the opinion that the purchased weapon is mostly designed
to secure Azerbaijan from Iran?
Yes, I do.
Meanwhile, your article has caused a great stir in Armenian mass media
who state the anti-Armenian direction of these military supplies for
Azerbaijan. What can you say about it?
Naturally, any supplies of Russian arms to Azerbaijan create concerns
in Armenia (especially because it is Russia's military ally), like the
supplies of arms from Russia to Armenia cause concerns in Azerbaijan.
Nonetheless, in both cases all the declared arms supplies were not
destabilizing, like the supplies of C-300 to Azerbaijan.
In fact, neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan has arms system that C-300
PMU2 may fight with. However, to ensure missile defense of such a big
city as Baku and adjacent oil fields, the purchase of anti-missile
C-300 is the most effective solution by cost/effectiveness criteria.
The purchase and maintenance of new fighters by Azerbaijan would have
been more expensive (and be potentially more destabilizing for the
Armenian-Azerbaijani military balance). To compare, new Su-30 fighter
costs $40-50m, US F-16 $60-70m depending on modification not speaking
of ammunition reserves, spare parts, expensive training of pilots and
so on. It is militarily senseless to buy less than 10-12 fighters
while the operation of two C-300 divisions is much cheaper than of
dozens of modern fighters. It is clear that the purchase of the same
number of US anti-missile Patriot, analogous to C-300, would also be
much more expensive.
Baku needs missile defense as a big modern city regardless of
Azerbaijan's neighbors. In the USSR times the missile defense of the
Baku industrial region was among the most powerful (since the war
times), it is clear that everything worn out through 20 years of
independence and probably a greater part of technique has been written
off or worn out (like in other former USSR countries). Thus, it is
necessary to renew it anyway. Even poor Tajikistan purchases
modernized C-125 complexes (which are far cheaper but having less
capacities) from Russia (Russia seems to pay for them in part).
Kazakhstan purchases C-300 early modifications from the Russian army
and will likely purchase new C-300 PMU-2, while old ones have been
transferred by Russia and Belarus, some other CIS countries
(Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan) also modernize old Soviet complexes C-125
by means of Russia or Belarus.
Azerbaijani authorities say Baku preserves the right to liberate lands
through war and therefore it strengthens its military potential in
conditions of continued Armenian occupation. Are the statements
accusing Baku of groundless military rhetoric justified in such
conditions?
I cannot answer the question since I am not an expert in foreign policy.
Do you think the possibility of resumption of hostilities between
Azerbaijan and Armenia for Nagorno Karabakh is high?
Hardly, both countries need this, but I am not the expert in this issue.
Russia is Armenia's military and strategic ally both on the bilateral
level and within CSTO. At the same time, Moscow seems to be developing
quite active military cooperation with Azerbaijan. Do you think Russia
will preserve neutrality in case Armenian-Azerbaijani war resumes?
I suppose that Russia (along with other concerned countries as Turkey,
US and CIS countries) can avert this war.
Alexei Nikolski, is correspondent of Russian Vedomosti, co-author of
the article `Baku, if not Iran' on Russia's intention to supply 3PK
S-300 PMU-2 Favorit to Azerbaijan published on July 29.
Lala B.
News.Az
From: A. Papazian
July 31 2010
Russian authorities seem unwilling to annoy partners in Armenia
Sat 31 July 2010 | 07:07 GMT Text size:
S-300 air defense system News.Az interviews Alexei Nikolski,
correspondent of Russian Vedomosti
Why do you think Russian and Azerbaijani officials refuse to comment
on the information of Russian supplies of 3PK S-300 PMU-2 Favorit to
Azerbaijan you have used?
They have a right not to comment on the deals in the sphere of
military supplies, especially such complex and expensive ones. Russian
authorities seem not to be willing to annoy partners from Armenia in
public, as well.
Is this information reliable considering the fact that it was
dismissed by some representatives (though anonymous) of the Russian
military circles?
Well, the representative of Rosoboronexport said in open that he knows
nothing about the contract. Nonetheless, I still believe this
information is true.
Do you share the opinion that the purchased weapon is mostly designed
to secure Azerbaijan from Iran?
Yes, I do.
Meanwhile, your article has caused a great stir in Armenian mass media
who state the anti-Armenian direction of these military supplies for
Azerbaijan. What can you say about it?
Naturally, any supplies of Russian arms to Azerbaijan create concerns
in Armenia (especially because it is Russia's military ally), like the
supplies of arms from Russia to Armenia cause concerns in Azerbaijan.
Nonetheless, in both cases all the declared arms supplies were not
destabilizing, like the supplies of C-300 to Azerbaijan.
In fact, neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan has arms system that C-300
PMU2 may fight with. However, to ensure missile defense of such a big
city as Baku and adjacent oil fields, the purchase of anti-missile
C-300 is the most effective solution by cost/effectiveness criteria.
The purchase and maintenance of new fighters by Azerbaijan would have
been more expensive (and be potentially more destabilizing for the
Armenian-Azerbaijani military balance). To compare, new Su-30 fighter
costs $40-50m, US F-16 $60-70m depending on modification not speaking
of ammunition reserves, spare parts, expensive training of pilots and
so on. It is militarily senseless to buy less than 10-12 fighters
while the operation of two C-300 divisions is much cheaper than of
dozens of modern fighters. It is clear that the purchase of the same
number of US anti-missile Patriot, analogous to C-300, would also be
much more expensive.
Baku needs missile defense as a big modern city regardless of
Azerbaijan's neighbors. In the USSR times the missile defense of the
Baku industrial region was among the most powerful (since the war
times), it is clear that everything worn out through 20 years of
independence and probably a greater part of technique has been written
off or worn out (like in other former USSR countries). Thus, it is
necessary to renew it anyway. Even poor Tajikistan purchases
modernized C-125 complexes (which are far cheaper but having less
capacities) from Russia (Russia seems to pay for them in part).
Kazakhstan purchases C-300 early modifications from the Russian army
and will likely purchase new C-300 PMU-2, while old ones have been
transferred by Russia and Belarus, some other CIS countries
(Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan) also modernize old Soviet complexes C-125
by means of Russia or Belarus.
Azerbaijani authorities say Baku preserves the right to liberate lands
through war and therefore it strengthens its military potential in
conditions of continued Armenian occupation. Are the statements
accusing Baku of groundless military rhetoric justified in such
conditions?
I cannot answer the question since I am not an expert in foreign policy.
Do you think the possibility of resumption of hostilities between
Azerbaijan and Armenia for Nagorno Karabakh is high?
Hardly, both countries need this, but I am not the expert in this issue.
Russia is Armenia's military and strategic ally both on the bilateral
level and within CSTO. At the same time, Moscow seems to be developing
quite active military cooperation with Azerbaijan. Do you think Russia
will preserve neutrality in case Armenian-Azerbaijani war resumes?
I suppose that Russia (along with other concerned countries as Turkey,
US and CIS countries) can avert this war.
Alexei Nikolski, is correspondent of Russian Vedomosti, co-author of
the article `Baku, if not Iran' on Russia's intention to supply 3PK
S-300 PMU-2 Favorit to Azerbaijan published on July 29.
Lala B.
News.Az
From: A. Papazian