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Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Oct 27 2012
Brothers-in-arms
By Stanislav Davydov. Exclusively to VK
27 October 2012 - 4:58pm
Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation based on principles of strategic
partnership exists in various fields. One of them (and actually one of
the most important) is in the sphere of defense and military
technology. Defense is a very sensitive topic in the Caucasus due to
territorial conflicts between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Nonetheless,
Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation in the sphere of defense is developing
and now plays an important role in bilateral relations.
Mutual trade in 2011 increased 47% to 2.8 billion dollars. Around 500
Russian companies operate in Azerbaijan. In 2011, according to data
provided by the Center for World Arms Trade Analysis, Azerbaijan was
the fifth-largest buyer of Russian arms. According to Russian
services, Azerbaijan is ready to spend 1 billion dollars per year on
buying Russian weapons.
Azerbaijan has to improve its security, as one-fifth of its territory
is still occupied by Armenian forces. Azerbaijan doesn't want to take
part in a war, but it understands that no one will pay attention to a
weak and unarmed state. That is why the increase in defense spendings
in Azerbaijan is quite natural. Nowadays the sum Azerbaijan spends on
defense is greater than the whole Armenian budget.
All rumours that Azerbaijan stopped buying Russian weapons and prefers
Nato analogues are ridiculous. Azerbaijan is still interested in
Russian arms and simple statistics show that. The Azerbaijani army
still buys Russian weapons and bilateral cooperation in this sphere is
well-developed.
One of the most remarkable purchases is the S-300 deal. Azerbaijan has
bought two divisions of the Favorit complex, which were presented to
the public during one of Azerbaijani military parades. All experts
have been impressed by these complexes.
Azerbaijan has also bought an Uran-E naval rocket complex from the
Russian Tactic Rocket Arms corporation. The deal was signed in 2010,
with the complex costing 75 million dollars. It will be finished in
2014.
In 2011 the Azerbaijani ministry of defense also bought several T-90S
tanks from the Russian company Uralvagonzavod. However, the details of
the deal were not reported.
In 2009 Azerbaijan bought nine 2S7 Pion artillery complexes. According
to the agreement, the complexes were delivered to Azerbaijan in 2011.
In 2008, Russia sold 3 Pion facilities to Azerbaijan. The Pion
artillery facility is believed to be the most powerful in world at
present.
Azerbaijan has also bought twenty four Mi-35M helicopters. In the
summer of 2012 another batch of helicopters was delivered to
Azerbaijan. The helicopters were produced by the Rosvertol company
situated in Rostov-on-Don.
The first 4 helicopters were delivered to the Azerbaijani air forces
in December 2011. All in all, one half of the helicopters ordered have
already been delivered to Azerbaijan.
Media outlets reported that the 2010 agreement had been updated and
that the number of helicopters Azerbaijan was going to buy would be
increased. Azerbaijan indeed seems interested in Russian helicopters
and is now the biggest buyer of this kind of military equipment.
All these examples are just a small part of the real amount of the
arms bought by Azerbaijan. As the leaders of the two nations say,
there are no problems in Russian-Azerbaijani relations and cooperation
in the defense sphere is obviously a sign of that.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/economy/33054.html
From: Baghdasarian
Oct 27 2012
Brothers-in-arms
By Stanislav Davydov. Exclusively to VK
27 October 2012 - 4:58pm
Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation based on principles of strategic
partnership exists in various fields. One of them (and actually one of
the most important) is in the sphere of defense and military
technology. Defense is a very sensitive topic in the Caucasus due to
territorial conflicts between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Nonetheless,
Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation in the sphere of defense is developing
and now plays an important role in bilateral relations.
Mutual trade in 2011 increased 47% to 2.8 billion dollars. Around 500
Russian companies operate in Azerbaijan. In 2011, according to data
provided by the Center for World Arms Trade Analysis, Azerbaijan was
the fifth-largest buyer of Russian arms. According to Russian
services, Azerbaijan is ready to spend 1 billion dollars per year on
buying Russian weapons.
Azerbaijan has to improve its security, as one-fifth of its territory
is still occupied by Armenian forces. Azerbaijan doesn't want to take
part in a war, but it understands that no one will pay attention to a
weak and unarmed state. That is why the increase in defense spendings
in Azerbaijan is quite natural. Nowadays the sum Azerbaijan spends on
defense is greater than the whole Armenian budget.
All rumours that Azerbaijan stopped buying Russian weapons and prefers
Nato analogues are ridiculous. Azerbaijan is still interested in
Russian arms and simple statistics show that. The Azerbaijani army
still buys Russian weapons and bilateral cooperation in this sphere is
well-developed.
One of the most remarkable purchases is the S-300 deal. Azerbaijan has
bought two divisions of the Favorit complex, which were presented to
the public during one of Azerbaijani military parades. All experts
have been impressed by these complexes.
Azerbaijan has also bought an Uran-E naval rocket complex from the
Russian Tactic Rocket Arms corporation. The deal was signed in 2010,
with the complex costing 75 million dollars. It will be finished in
2014.
In 2011 the Azerbaijani ministry of defense also bought several T-90S
tanks from the Russian company Uralvagonzavod. However, the details of
the deal were not reported.
In 2009 Azerbaijan bought nine 2S7 Pion artillery complexes. According
to the agreement, the complexes were delivered to Azerbaijan in 2011.
In 2008, Russia sold 3 Pion facilities to Azerbaijan. The Pion
artillery facility is believed to be the most powerful in world at
present.
Azerbaijan has also bought twenty four Mi-35M helicopters. In the
summer of 2012 another batch of helicopters was delivered to
Azerbaijan. The helicopters were produced by the Rosvertol company
situated in Rostov-on-Don.
The first 4 helicopters were delivered to the Azerbaijani air forces
in December 2011. All in all, one half of the helicopters ordered have
already been delivered to Azerbaijan.
Media outlets reported that the 2010 agreement had been updated and
that the number of helicopters Azerbaijan was going to buy would be
increased. Azerbaijan indeed seems interested in Russian helicopters
and is now the biggest buyer of this kind of military equipment.
All these examples are just a small part of the real amount of the
arms bought by Azerbaijan. As the leaders of the two nations say,
there are no problems in Russian-Azerbaijani relations and cooperation
in the defense sphere is obviously a sign of that.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/economy/33054.html
From: Baghdasarian