Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

[Mher]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

KINDLY NOTE THE FOLLOWING PLEASE:


Buying different systems of artilleries, despite the risk of the initial devastating effect, should not be considered all that positive. A country that has 6-7 different types of artillery or rocket systems means that nation has:

1. Expensive maintenance issues (as you cannot build standard repair platforms for all different types)
2. Extremely complicated training issues, whereby it needs to train different crews to operate different systems, meaning if something happened to one of these systems in the battlefield the crew cannot operate other systems and hence becomes useless.
3. The crew operating a certain system, in the battlefield cannot be flexibly used to operate other systems if the necessity arises.

Russia has a 1 million strong army has only 3 types of MRLS: BM-21, Uragan and Smerch (now they are replacing the Uragan's with newer versions and the Smerch will be updated soon). Azerbaijan on the other hand with it's 80-100,000 troops has over 8 MRLS. This is just absurd!!

thank you for the analysis and expertise

[burjuin]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

[Spetsnaz]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

http://razm.info/27104

[Spetsnaz]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Armenia Acquires Advanced Chinese Rockets


Chinese AR1A rockets
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—Armenia has acquired Chinese multiple-launch rocket systems with a firing range of up to 80 miles, a military source in Yerevan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) on Monday.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source declined to specify the quantity of the AR1A systems obtained by the Armenian military and the dates of their delivery or give other details of the alleged acquisition.
The Armenian Defense Ministry, for its part, refused to confirm or refute the information. “Armenia’s armed forces are constantly supplied with new weapons and increase their combat readiness,” the ministry spokesman, Artsrun Hovannisian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “We have clear plans of arms acquisitions and are adhering to them.”
AR1A, which China first demonstrated in 2009, is a long-range artillery system designed to attack concentrations of troops, command centers and important ground targets. Military experts say that it has many technological similarities with the Russian Smerch multiple-launch rocket systems, one of the most destructive weapons of its kind. Smerch rockets can hit targets up to 90 kilometers (55 miles) away.
Eighteen Smerch systems are reportedly among the $1 billion worth of new offensive weapons that Russia began delivering to Azerbaijan earlier this year. Armenian politicians and pundits have singled out this weapon in their strong criticisms of the Russian arms sales to Baku. The latter also purchased a dozen Smerch systems from Ukraine in the mid-2000s.
The nearest equivalent to the Russian rockets that Armenia has been known to possess until now are Chinese-made WM-80 multiple-launch systems with a firing range of up to 80 kilometers (50 miles). The Armenian military is thought to have acquired them in the late 1990s.
Chinese-Armenian military ties appear to have deepened in the last few years. Beijing and Yerevan signed in January 2012 what the Armenian Defense Ministry called an “agreement on military and military-technical cooperation.”

http://asbarez.com/113010/armenia-to-acquire-advanced-chinese-rockets/

[Mher]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

An analysis of the BM-30 Smerch from ZORAVAR

The Following posts will be about weapons in Azerbaijan's arsenal that are potentially the most concerning. Here is the first one:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Metallic hail: SMERCH Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS)

SMERCH system on Parade in Baku on June 2, 2008.

These are Russian (Soviet) made 300 mm rocket launchers (12 per vehicle). The Azeris bought 12 of these a few years ago from the Ukraine.

Details of the SMERCH on the manufacturer's website: http://www.splav.org/en/arms/smerch/index.asp

These are powerfull weapons that can be used in 3 different ways against us:

1. Each rocket weighs a massive 800 kg. A volley of these carry enough punch to breach our fortified defenses and allow their tanks and soldiers to pass through into our territories.

Our counter: do not concentrate defense on one line, have 3 or more defensive lines. Be prepared for the eventuality of a defense collapsing and have defense in the rear (defense in depth).

2. Destroy any concentration of our own armour that is preparing a counter-attack against the intruding Azeris.

Our counter: Avoid armour concentrations for extended periods of time. All actions should br made swiftly. Hide assets in forests and use camouflage techniques to avoid detection.

3. The 70 km range rocket (there is also a 90km version but I don't know if the Azeris have it) can be used to wipe out civilian centers. Stepanagerd would be at the mercy of these. A single rocket can bring down a 3 story building. For comparison: the Georgians were using much smaller rockets to destroy Tskinvalli.

Our counter: Evacuate civilians out of major towns and villages as early as possible.

The best counter: destroy the SMERCHs early in the conflict. We can use our Mi-24 helicopter gunships, our Su-25 "Shturmovik" strike aircraft or our own equivalent to the SMERCH: we posess a handfull of Chinese made WM-80 273mm mulltiple rocket launchers (8 rockets per vehicle). These are not as good or powerfull as the Russian made SMERCH, but at least they match the later's range and can be used for counter-battery fire.

A couple of our Mi-24 gunships during training


A trio of our Su-25 close support aircraft during a military parade


Our "made in China" WM-80 rocket launchers in Yerevan

[Mher]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Can anyone give an update on our defense capabilities against the Smerch?

Also, what new information do we have on whether Armenia possess the Smerch or not? From what I remember they were not present at the 2012 parade

Finally, other than range, what differentiates the AR1A and the smerch?

[Artashes]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Ther was a Katangian in the 82nd airborne during ww2. I have the sole picture of this man while in the sky with chute deployed. Unfortunately lost both dissimilar instructions (complex) on how to post pic on iPad.
Artashes

[Artashes]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Ther was a Katangian in the 82nd airborne during ww2. I have the sole picture of this man while in the sky with chute deployed. Unfortunately lost both dissimilar instructions (complex) on how to post pic on iPad.
Artashes

He used to spread the parachute out on the backyard lawn. He told me it was made of silk. I used to play on it as a small child.
Artashes

[Chubs]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Hmmmm...That gets me thinking
I am sure that the government knows about these, and has a way to counter them. The problem with the helicopters is that..well, we need more of them. haha..It wouldn't hurt to have maybe another 100 Hinds xD

[burjuin]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Armenian Army