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AZERBAIJAN, WITH TURKEY'S HELP, GETS A JUMP START ON ITS DEFENSE INDUSTRY
by Joshua Kucera
EurasiaNet
Nov 8 2010
NY
Turkey's relationship with Azerbaijan may be strained over the former's
attempts at rapprochement with Armenia, but cooperation between the
two countries' defense industries seems as strong as ever.
Turkey's defense minister visited Baku last week, and the two countries
signed a whole raft of agreements on setting up joint ventures in
Azerbaijan to produce rockets, drones, grenade launchers, camouflage
material and possibly helicopters.
Azerbaijan seems to be following the same strategy as Kazakhstan -- get
foreign companies to come and bring their superior military technology
so that local companies can eventually produce that equipment by
themselves, in an attempt to diversify the economy beyond just oil
and gas. In fact, Azerbaijan started this a while ago, setting up a
Ministry of Defense Industry in 2005 and setting up its first big
joint venture, to produce a South African mine-protected vehicle
in late 2009. So it seems likely that Kazakhstan may be following
Azerbaijan's example.
Whatever the case, assuming these agreements actually come to fruition,
there are now two burgeoning defense industries on either side of
the Caspian.
From: A. Papazian
by Joshua Kucera
EurasiaNet
Nov 8 2010
NY
Turkey's relationship with Azerbaijan may be strained over the former's
attempts at rapprochement with Armenia, but cooperation between the
two countries' defense industries seems as strong as ever.
Turkey's defense minister visited Baku last week, and the two countries
signed a whole raft of agreements on setting up joint ventures in
Azerbaijan to produce rockets, drones, grenade launchers, camouflage
material and possibly helicopters.
Azerbaijan seems to be following the same strategy as Kazakhstan -- get
foreign companies to come and bring their superior military technology
so that local companies can eventually produce that equipment by
themselves, in an attempt to diversify the economy beyond just oil
and gas. In fact, Azerbaijan started this a while ago, setting up a
Ministry of Defense Industry in 2005 and setting up its first big
joint venture, to produce a South African mine-protected vehicle
in late 2009. So it seems likely that Kazakhstan may be following
Azerbaijan's example.
Whatever the case, assuming these agreements actually come to fruition,
there are now two burgeoning defense industries on either side of
the Caspian.
From: A. Papazian