Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

[Armanen]

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

A better Government does not necessarily mean different Government.
Certainly not revolution.

BUT it can mean present authorities seeing some of their wrong ways.

I agree with this. Revolution is the last thing we need. More often than not, revolutions makes things worse and bring leaders/movements that are not at all what they claimed to be when they were out of power.

As for azerbaijan, I would like to see any kind of social unrest that will cause official baku to divert its resources toward halting the social unrest. However, I am not sure if a revolution in azerbaijan would be to Armenia's advantage in the long run. Think what may happen between Armenia and Iran if azerbaijan got a theocratic government too. Maybe the relations would still be good or maybe Iran would become pro-azeri in an effort to eventually absorb fake azerbaijan outright, or have it as a puppet state.

[arakeretzig]

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

Actually, we should be advocating for a democratic and free Azerbaijan. Chances of war will decrease.

[Federate]

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

Actually, we should be advocating for a democratic and free Azerbaijan. Chances of war will decrease.

The more corrupt and despotic Azerbaijan is, the better for Armenia. Not only do they destroy the country from within but the "international community" will look upon it from a neutral stance instead of a positive stance (since due to oil a negative stance does not exist). And on the contrary, as long as Aliyev is in power, war will not happen because he would not want to lose power. Aliyev only cares about money and has nothing to gain from Artsakh but a chance to lose everything. His tough talk on Artsakh is only for domestic purposes.

[Mos]

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

The more corrupt and despotic Azerbaijan is, the better for Armenia. Not only do they destroy the country from within but the "international community" will look upon it from a neutral stance instead of a positive stance (since due to oil a negative stance does not exist). And on the contrary, as long as Aliyev is in power, war will not happen because he would not want to lose power. Aliyev only cares about money and has nothing to gain from Artsakh but a chance to lose everything. His tough talk on Artsakh is only for domestic purposes.

I agree, and it won't do us any good if Azerbaijan becomes more pro-West. Its corrupt and authoritarian government right now which is only concerned about oil money is a great precedent for Karabakh's independence. Though I believe if there is civil unrest or an attempt at revolution, Aliyev might attack Karabakh in order to unify his people and quell a potential coup.

[Armanen]

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

I agree, and it won't do us any good if Azerbaijan becomes more pro-West. Its corrupt and authoritarian government right now which is only concerned about oil money is a great precedent for Karabakh's independence. Though I believe if there is civil unrest or an attempt at revolution, Aliyev might attack Karabakh in order to unify his people and quell a potential coup.

Yep, I think unless the revolution occured at such a rapid pace and without the authorities knowing about it before hand, then aliyev would attempt to push public anger toward Armenia-Artsakh. In this case he would be pitted against losing all or making war and maybe winning = staying in power. Otherwise, I too think his rhetoric is for domestic consumption.

[burjuin]

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

Azerbaijani soldier injured in the accident

[ 22 Фев. 2011 13:28 ]
Baku. Hafiz Heydarov – APA. An accident took place in the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry’s military unit in Ganja.

Soldier Salimzadeh Loghman Ilgar fell from the third floor and was injured, press service of the ministry told APA. The injured soldier was hospitalized. Doctors said he is in satisfactory condition.

The accident is investigated.

Salimzadeh was called up by the Aghsu regional military commissariat in January, 2011.

apa.az

[burjuin]

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

[ninetoyadome]

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

Armenia acquired “unprecedented” quantities of modern weaponry last year and will continue the military build-up in 2011, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian announced on Tuesday.

Ohanian gave no details of those acquisitions as he met with the faculty and students of Yerevan State University. He said only that 2010 was “unprecedented for us in terms of obtaining weapons and military hardware.”

“The expansion of our military capacity will continue in 2011, and it will be no less large-scale than it was in 2010,” Ohanian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service after the meeting. “Let me not specify numbers.”

Armenia officially confirmed in late December that it possesses Russian-made surface-to-air missiles widely regarded as one of the world’s most potent anti-aircraft weapons. The Armenian military displayed the S-300 air-defense systems in a report broadcast by state television.

Earlier in December, President Serzh Sarkisian and his National Security Council approved a five-year plan to modernize Armenia’s armed forces. It envisages, among other things, the acquisition of long-range precision-guided weapons.

Armenian officials do not deny that the plan is connected with the ongoing military build-up in Azerbaijan and Baku’s threats to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by force.

Ohanian reiterated Tuesday that the Armenian side is seeking to not only stay in the arms race but also improve the combat-readiness of its troops. “We are trying to concentrate on raising qualitative standards and combat spirits,” he said. The ongoing “serious defense reforms” will also strengthen the army, the minister said.


Armenia -- A screenshot of first-ever images of Armenian-owned S-300 air-defense systems broadcast by Public Television, 25Dec2010.
The Azerbaijani government has said that it will sharply increase military spending to over $3 billion this year. By comparison, Armenia’s defense budget for 2011 is projected to reach only $405 million.

Armenia has sought to maintain the balance of forces in the Karabakh conflict zone with close military ties with Russia that entitle it to receiving Russian weapons at cut-down prices or even free of charge. Analysts believe that it will continue doing so in the years to come.

A new Russian-Armenian defense agreement signed last August, commits Moscow to helping Yerevan obtain “modern and compatible weaponry and (special) military hardware.”

The Armenian government’s stated efforts to strengthen and reform the military are called into question by continuing non-combat deaths and other violent incidents in the army ranks, which have come under greater public scrutiny in recent months. The problem was discussed in Yerevan on Tuesday at a seminar attended by Defense Ministry officials, human rights activists and lawyers.

In a report released during the discussion, the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, a Vanadzor-based human rights group, claimed that 42 Armenian soldiers died last year and that only 9 of them were shot by Azerbaijani forces. It said more than half of them were murdered by fellow servicemen.

Defense Ministry spokesman Davit Karapetian dismissed the figures as inaccurate. But he refused to release official statistics on army deaths.

Some seminar participants accused the military of failing to properly investigate many army crimes and punishing their perpetrators. Defense Ministry representatives denied that.

Ohanian similarly insisted that the military authorities have stepped up the prosecution of delinquent servicemen. “All those criminal cases are under control,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “We will continue to keep things under control and there will no cases of criminals not getting punishment deserved by them.”

http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/2317594.html

[Joseph]

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

Armenia acquired “unprecedented” quantities of modern weaponry last year and will continue the military build-up in 2011, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian announced on Tuesday.

Ohanian gave no details of those acquisitions as he met with the faculty and students of Yerevan State University. He said only that 2010 was “unprecedented for us in terms of obtaining weapons and military hardware.”

“The expansion of our military capacity will continue in 2011, and it will be no less large-scale than it was in 2010,” Ohanian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service after the meeting. “Let me not specify numbers.”

Armenia officially confirmed in late December that it possesses Russian-made surface-to-air missiles widely regarded as one of the world’s most potent anti-aircraft weapons. The Armenian military displayed the S-300 air-defense systems in a report broadcast by state television.

Earlier in December, President Serzh Sarkisian and his National Security Council approved a five-year plan to modernize Armenia’s armed forces. It envisages, among other things, the acquisition of long-range precision-guided weapons.

Armenian officials do not deny that the plan is connected with the ongoing military build-up in Azerbaijan and Baku’s threats to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by force.

Ohanian reiterated Tuesday that the Armenian side is seeking to not only stay in the arms race but also improve the combat-readiness of its troops. “We are trying to concentrate on raising qualitative standards and combat spirits,” he said. The ongoing “serious defense reforms” will also strengthen the army, the minister said.


Armenia -- A screenshot of first-ever images of Armenian-owned S-300 air-defense systems broadcast by Public Television, 25Dec2010.
The Azerbaijani government has said that it will sharply increase military spending to over $3 billion this year. By comparison, Armenia’s defense budget for 2011 is projected to reach only $405 million.

Armenia has sought to maintain the balance of forces in the Karabakh conflict zone with close military ties with Russia that entitle it to receiving Russian weapons at cut-down prices or even free of charge. Analysts believe that it will continue doing so in the years to come.

A new Russian-Armenian defense agreement signed last August, commits Moscow to helping Yerevan obtain “modern and compatible weaponry and (special) military hardware.”

The Armenian government’s stated efforts to strengthen and reform the military are called into question by continuing non-combat deaths and other violent incidents in the army ranks, which have come under greater public scrutiny in recent months. The problem was discussed in Yerevan on Tuesday at a seminar attended by Defense Ministry officials, human rights activists and lawyers.

In a report released during the discussion, the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, a Vanadzor-based human rights group, claimed that 42 Armenian soldiers died last year and that only 9 of them were shot by Azerbaijani forces. It said more than half of them were murdered by fellow servicemen.

Defense Ministry spokesman Davit Karapetian dismissed the figures as inaccurate. But he refused to release official statistics on army deaths.

Some seminar participants accused the military of failing to properly investigate many army crimes and punishing their perpetrators. Defense Ministry representatives denied that.

Ohanian similarly insisted that the military authorities have stepped up the prosecution of delinquent servicemen. “All those criminal cases are under control,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “We will continue to keep things under control and there will no cases of criminals not getting punishment deserved by them.”

http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/2317594.html

I believe it. My uncle was in Southern Armenia a few months ago and noticed a convoy of brand new artillery pieces (and as he described, "very large", could be newer versions of the M-46) heading toward Artsakh on flatbed tractor trailers along with several tanks also on flatbeds. All pieces looked shinny and new.

[Joseph]

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

At the very least, the continued delivery of long range artillery pieces to Armenian forces makes me happy.