Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

[arakeretzig]

New military base in Ijevan inauguration, today.

finally some good news. Ijevan is very strategic.

[Joseph]

I don't think it is right to pin our hopes on oil prices.
How about if azeris start something (what am I saying, azeris have never stoped. They just do war on diffrent levels and intensities depending what they can get away with) because of low oil prices? Because of imminent economic collapse?
Even if not major, but several small events can change the political atmosphere.
Every time azeris try something and get kicked in the balls the world goes "oh sure, Azerbaijan can never achieve military vicory".
But that is short lived like the world memory is and because of caviar and bribes. And then Azerbaijan trying to impress with arms purchase and bellicose rethoric plus acting on frontline like it is a winner. And then everybody acts as Baku needs? Including our weak diplomatic establishment.
I red a stupid article, I think Italian, that Azerbaijan has won the arms race. The article was written as if azeris won the war, not the other way around.
In short, today, our government and army has to get and be ready to deal a crashing defeat to azeris. Not just answering to azeri actions.
It is time to act decisively in ending this conflict. To stop this slow bleeding.

Agree. The world press, various think tanks, etc always chirp away about Azeri military acquisitions (as if the Armenians are not purchasing weapons or constantly training their own troops, etc- these are articles are typically hit pieces that Azeris paid for) as if they've won the war. The Azeris have always had more men and equipment. Where the Armenians consistently lose is in diplomacy...and a country that is not run by nationalists but run by fat, lazy, ruthless oligarchs.

[Joseph]

finally some good news. Ijevan is very strategic.

That is good news.

[Sukhoi22]

In 2016 Armenia has already paid $50 million of the $200 million Russian loan for weapons.

http://razm.info/106708

[burjuin]

Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army

[HyeSocialist]

The military base in Ijevan is important. Armenian servicemen and women should be provided with adequate protection, housing, education, and weaponry to protect the country.

[bayhye]

This Areni idea is really interesting, and it's different. Water warfare is a long tradition on Earth. The problem we have of going on offensive posture for new land is that we simply do not have the manpower to protect them, especially new lands that are more exposed, and therefore require more resources and people. Put another way, we spread ourselves out even more, and the risk could be you counterproductively weaken your existing hardened positions. Now, building a dam... that's a ballsy move. We need to posture to the int'l community that we want to cooperate with the Azeris (and, honestly, Nakchivan has never been a major issue for us, and we don't want to create another front of the war), but of course the Azeris will simply refuse to talk about it. Then we build it and it becomes a negotiating tool for the broader settlement.

[AbuSindi]

Baku Claims to Have Means to Shoot Down Iskander Missile

BAKU—Azerbaijan’s defense minister claimed that his country’s armed forces possess anti-missile weapons with the capability to shoot down the Russian-made Iskander missile system, which Armenia added to its arsenal last year.

“As defense minister, I declare that we have a system that can shoot down these missiles. We have 50 times more missiles. I fully stand by my words. Imagine the response strike on the infrastructure and military targets [of Armenia], if they [Armenian Armed Forces] decide to use them [the missiles!?” Zakir Hasanov, the Azerbaijani defense minister told the Russian RIA-Novosti in an interview published Wednesday.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov

Yerevan acquired the Iskander missile system from Russia, which delivered it as part of a larger sale of weapons to Armenia financed through a $200,000 loan from the Moscow.

Armenia is the only country in the region, with the exception of Russia, to have the powerful Iskander missile system, which reportedly has a range of 300 kilometers of precision with deadly consequences.

Hasanov told RIA-Novosti that the anti-missile system he referenced was not purchased from Russia, although Azerbaijan is considering the purchase more weapons from Russia, which just last month completed delivery of more arms to Baku as part of sales agreement with that country. Russia has also sold around $5 billion worth of tanks, artillery systems and other weapons to Azerbaijan in line with defense contracts signed in 2009-2011.

“We’re considering buying several more kinds of weapon. The purchase of arms is a multifaceted issue. On one hand, we have to avoid templates, one the other hand, diversity of weapons brings new challenges in their use. This is a rather complicated issue,” he said.

Hasanov noted that the contract on the delivery of Russian tanks, Smerch multiple rocket launchers and Msta-S self-propelled howitzers to Azerbaijan is 90-percent complete and paid for.

“The contract has already been fulfilled by almost 90 percent. We paid for it. There are little things left. Everything has long been used in Azerbaijan and successfully applied. All these are modern weapons that we have mastered and are using,” he said.

Hasanov also said that Azerbaijan remained committed to finding peaceful resolution to the conflict, but quickly saying that use of force was an option if talks don’t yield the necessary results.

“However, it does not mean that the negotiations can last for good. We don’t need negotiations for the sake of negotiations. Look around and you will see international law no longer works. Everyone leans on the option of force. Of course, we must react to this,” he added.

[bayhye]

First, Iskanders are special precisely because of how difficult they are to shoot down. So throw that out. Second, unfortunately, he's right, a counter-attack would be devastating. Azeris have a more target-rich landscape (oil infra, population centers, skyscrapers, dams), Armenia has more concentrated population. Parity is achieved through mutually self-assured destruction.

Baku Claims to Have Means to Shoot Down Iskander Missile

[Azad]

This Areni idea is really interesting, and it's different. Water warfare is a long tradition on Earth. The problem we have of going on offensive posture for new land is that we simply do not have the manpower to protect them, especially new lands that are more exposed, and therefore require more resources and people. Put another way, we spread ourselves out even more, and the risk could be you counterproductively weaken your existing hardened positions. Now, building a dam... that's a ballsy move. We need to posture to the int'l community that we want to cooperate with the Azeris (and, honestly, Nakchivan has never been a major issue for us, and we don't want to create another front of the war), but of course the Azeris will simply refuse to talk about it. Then we build it and it becomes a negotiating tool for the broader settlement.

No neet to take any lands at this time. They still have the Aras river, they can build a treatment plant and funnel water upwards (too expensive). The objective is the put pressure, hardship, population control keeping them as far way, making it inhabitable around our borders. If we need to take any lands why build a dam? Just take the one they build down the river that has hardly any major military protection. The int. community is just a reference that is useless and does nothing. turkey built one of the world largest dams cutting water supplies to (3) countries and millions of people's water. They might have even invited to Int. community for a swim. All the Int. community needs to know is that the Wine industry in Armenia is growing and we need the waters for our growing farmlands needs in Areni region.