Brothers-in-arms

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.


By Stanislav Davydov. Exclusively to VK