TODAY.AZ / Politics

Azerbaijani Armed Forces turn 98

26 June 2016 [09:00] - TODAY.AZ

/By Azernews/


By Amina Nazarli


Azerbaijan's Armed Forces celebrate 98th anniversary of the establishment of the South Caucasus’ most powerful army June 26.


The Azerbaijani Army is one of the strongest, most highly-disciplined armies in the world and the leading in the region. It is equipped with new high-quality weapons made by domestic and foreign military-industrial systems.


The history of the modern Azerbaijani army dates back to the establishment of the first Democratic Republic in the Muslim East -- Azerbaijan Democratic Republic -- in the early 20th century. The Armed Forces of the ADR were created on June 26, 1918 to protect the country from military aggression by Armenia and Russia.


Years passed and the history was sometimes a hard teacher for Azerbaijani people. But gaining the state independence, and the ongoing reforms in the military sphere, helped to create a powerful army and lay the foundation for its future development.


Nowadays, the skills and combat readiness of the Azerbaijani army are growing year by year and the army building process is progressing as well.


The army building process is of particular importance for Azerbaijan, as twenty percent of the country's territory is under Armenian occupation and the country is in a state of war with Armenia.



Azerbaijani Armed Forces are called to liberate the lands occupied by Armenian aggressors, stand in guard of national interests and protect the territorial integrity of the country.


It’s known that despite ultramodern modernization of the army, the most required thing that makes any army powerful is the awareness of the need to protect a homeland. In the early 1990s, at the height of the "hot phase" of the conflict, Azerbaijani soldiers had nothing but faith in their own state, but today Azerbaijani army strikes fear into enemies hearts.


The recent April events on the front line between Azerbaijan and Armenia, showed the power of the Azerbaijani Army and willingness of Azerbaijan to liberate its historical lands from the enemy occupation. To prevent Armenian provocations launched on the contact line of troops on April 2, Azerbaijan responded with a counter-attack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements.


Today, material and technical equipment of the Azerbaijani army is at the highest level and the national army is one of the strongest armies in the world.


Azerbaijani army stands at the 60th place in the world ranking military power Global Firepower Index.



Azerbaijan’s military budget for 2016 is about $1.466 billion. The country's military budget exceeds the overall state budget of occupant Armenia by more than $1 billion.


Azerbaijani Armed Forces have entered a period of development and improvement. The country has created conditions for the formation of the military-industrial complex and the production of defense products.


In his speech to the soldiers on June 26, 2014, the Supreme Commander in Chief, President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan has a strong army.



“The potential of the army becomes stronger and increases day by day. Construction of the army is our public policy and priority, and in this respect very much has been done in recent years. Our army is equipped with new appliances...” the president emphasized.


Azerbaijan purchases military equipment mostly from Turkey, Israel, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, the U.S. etc.



The Azerbaijani army is supplied with modern weapons and technical equipment for maintaining a high level of combat capability. The army now possesses 120 mm portable mortars 2S12 SANI, 220 mm heavy flamethrower systems ??S-1?, 152 mm self-propelled howitzers Msta-S, and 120 mm self-propelled artillery weapon 2S31 Vena, while one military unit is completely equipped with BMP-3 type military vehicles.


Azerbaijan, as the first state of the region manufacturing own armored defense technology, supplies the Defense Ministry with armored vehicles of Matador and Marauder manufacturing it jointly with foreign partners.


Over the past few years Azerbaijan has also succeeded to modernize and strengthen the Caspian fleet inherited from the Soviet time. At present the Azerbaijani Navy is considered as the second, after Russia, strongest fleet in the Caspian Sea for its capabilities.


Azerbaijan attaches importance to the improvement and modernization of its army's capabilities, including the level of combat efficiency both in terms of defense and attack operations.


The Azerbaijani Armed Forces have collaborated with NATO under the Partnership for the Peace Program since 1994 and have military cooperation with a number of foreign states.


The Azerbaijani Armed Forces’ contribution to international security and stability continues to grow.


Azerbaijan supports certain peacekeeping operations under NATO and the UN. Since September of 1994, the peacekeeping divisions of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces have served in international peacekeeping efforts forces in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.


Azerbaijan’s peacekeeping contingent, consisting of 34 soldiers, had successfully served in Kosovo from 1999 until 2008 under the Turkish Peace Keeping Forces of KFOR.


An Azerbaijani peacekeeping regiment, consisting of 150 soldiers and officers, has served in Iraq on the basis of a 2003 UN Security Council resolution.


Following a decree signed by President Heydar Aliyev on May 22, 1998, June 26 was announced a national holiday - the Day of the Armed Forces - and it has been celebrated in Azerbaijan since then.


With the strengthening of the armed forces, the military power of the country is increasing, and willingness of every officer and soldier to fight for each piece of the native land allow to say that Azerbaijan is ready to counter any threats posed by the foes.


URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/152068.html

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