Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

[argin]

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

Is there any information about date of our parade?

jan we finally have parade last one was 2006 i be happy to see our army rockin in the independent square

[Eddo211]

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

Well usually no-fly zones are carried out by other warplanes that patrol the skies and shoot down any enemy planes that try to fly in the established zone. I think Armenia does not have air superiority fighters. But with the proper amount and quality of anti-air weaponry, Artsakh can establish a virtual/de-facto no-fly zone over its territory

right, now combine that with strikes from our SU-25s on Azeri airbases targeting their aircrafts on the ground (including none combat-ready Mig-29s, etc..) slowing destroying their Airforce.....a complete no-fly zone will be in effects skys patroled by Armenian aircraft.

We goona need alot of ordinance....and Azeris will end up moving their aircraft to the Caspian shorelines.

[Muhaha]

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

http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24248239.html

Pentagon Praises Armenia For Growing Defense Ties With U.S.


Armenia - Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Celeste Wallander (R) and other U.S. officials meet with Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian, 27Jun2011.
27.06.2011

Emil Danielyan

A senior Pentagon official praised Armenia for contributing troops to the NATO-led missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo and broadening military ties with the United States during a visit to Yerevan on Monday.

Celeste Wallander, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Policy, also promised continued U.S. assistance to an ongoing reform of the Armenian military aimed bringing it into greater conformity with NATO standards.

Wallander met with Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to discuss what she described as an “extensive list” of issues on the agenda of U.S.-Armenian military cooperation. “I commented to the minister [Ohanian] that each time we meet we have more and more to discuss,” she told a weekly television program produced by the Armenian Defense Ministry in an interview.

“President Obama has made very clear that the U.S. continues be committed to providing stability and security by supporting the development of the Afghan security forces,” Wallander said. “So we are very grateful to the [Armenia] Ministry of Defense for making that commitment and contributing to that mission.”

Armenia sent an additional 81 soldiers to Afghanistan a week ago, almost tripling its presence a NATO-led multinational force stationed there. Another 80 Armenian troops have been serving under NATO command in Kosovo.

“It is very important for people to remember that Armenians are also serving in Kosovo as part of the KFOR mission,” said Wallander. “We tend to forget about it because it’s so successful. But I think it’s important for everyone to understand that the reason it is successful is because so many partners have been willing to be there and contribute to this postconflict situation.”

The U.S. official added that the Pentagon will continue to support a special peacekeeping brigade of the Armenian Armed Forces that has provided military personnel for the Afghanistan and Kosovo missions as well as the U.S.-led occupation force in Iraq.

Armenia participation in international peacekeeping operation is envisaged by Yerevan’s Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with NATO launched in 2005. The cooperation framework also commits the country, traditionally reliant on close military ties with Russia, to implementing wide-ranging defense reforms.

Official Armenian sources quoted Wallander as telling Ohanian and Nalbandian that Washington will keep supporting those reforms. They said she also discussed with the two ministers overall U.S. military assistance to Armenia, which is due to total $12 million this year.

“We have many things to talk about, we have many things to be working on in the coming year,” Wallander said in her interview.

http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24248239.html

[ninetoyadome]

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

Seventy deaths in 6 months
According to Voskanapat.info, June 26 located in the area Agjabedi military unit of the armed forces of Azerbaijan incident, which killed the soldier Akif oglu Shirkhan Iskenderov, born in 1988. According to Azerbaijani media, Shirkhan Iskander, "died on the spot from a gunshot wound received in the head due to negligence, co-workers." If you translate this phrase into normal human language, the soldier was killed by a colleague that, given prevailing in the armed forces of Azerbaijan customs, has become commonplace in there.

Thus, according to summaries Voskanapat.info, S. Iskander became seventieth irreparable loss of the armed forces of Azerbaijan in less than six months of this year.

Voskanapat.info

[burjuin]

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

Armenian peacekeepers in Afghanistan:

[Artsakh]

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

Manvel Grigoryan: “Baku will have to deal with me”
01:00 pm | June 27, 2011 | Politics

On June 24-26, the Yerkrapah Union of Volunteers (YKM) organized an annual pilgrimage to Tavush Marz.

YKM Chairman, Lieutenant General Manvel Grigoryan, YKM board member, Major General Seyran Saroyan and Chairman of the Oversight Chamber Ishkhan Zakaryan participated in the pilgrimage.

"Each resident in the border villages of Tavush marz is a Yerkrapah (guard of the country)," Manvel Grigoryan said in the village of Berkaber.

"In 1989, you took up arms to defend your lands and your children. You continue the fight till today," he added.

The YKM Chairman also referred to the Karabakh conflict settlement and the recent meeting of Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Kazan. He underlined that the people of Artsakh acquired their right to independence with bloodshed, and no one has the right to challenge that right.

"People convey their ideas through a language; diplomacy is an art of speaking. We long for peace but we are ready to fight. If someone thinks that they can solve the conflict with oil or gas, they are mistaken. I warn them that in that case they will have to deal with me," said Grigoryan.

In the villages of Berkaber, Paravakar, Aygehovit and Barekamavan, the pilgrims met local freedom fighters and parents of perished soldiers. On behalf of the presidents of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, the Union gave awards to the villagers who participated in the war.

Every year, YKM members, volunteers and guests travels to Armenian settlements that became battlefields during the Karabakh war. The pilgrimage usually ends on September 2 - Independence day of Artsakh (Karabakh) Republic.

http://www.a1plus.am/en/politics/2011/06/27/manvel-grigoryan

[Hayk]

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

Interesting idea. The Libyan army was winning the war and was at the doorsteps of Benghazi to crush the Western puppets before NATO stepped in. Seems like Ghazafi should have put more funds towards his army's anti-air defence... though really it does not stand a chance with 20 different countries bombing it from the air.

I'm checking what anti-air weaponry the Libyan army had/has and many of them are the same as Armenia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyan_...ti-air_weapons and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenia..._Defense_Force). Though the fact that we have S-300 makes our much stronger. And of course, the Azeri air force is nowhere near as powerful as the NATO one.

Does S-300V in Russia base operate separately from other S-300s ? or all S-300s are connect to each other like a network ?

[ZORAVAR]

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

Does S-300V in Russia base operate separately from other S-300s ? or all S-300s are connect to each other like a network ?

The Russian S-300V and our S-300 units are all part of the "Integrated Air Defense System of Armenia". But every unit (Armenian or Russian) can operate independently as well if necessary.

[ninetoyadome]

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

Vladimir Zakharov: The state of the Azerbaijani army is not so well, as evidenced by the Ilham Aliyev
"The state of the Azerbaijani army is not so well as this says Ilham Aliyev", - this, in the Moscow-Yerevan entitled "Results of a trilateral meeting in Kazan on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," said the director of the Institute of Political and Social Research Black Sea-Caspian region, Vladimir Zakharov, referring to the possible resumption of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan.

According to experts, apart from the question and re-equipping of the Azerbaijani army, there is also an ideological component of the question, namely, "who will fight on the part of Azerbaijan?".

"I know what they say the Azerbaijanis here in Moscow. They say that will not go to war over Karabakh, and that it is necessary to Ilham not them "- said Vladimir Zakharov.

The head of the organization "European Integration" Bekaryan for his part said that if the Azerbaijani side had the slightest confidence in the fact that it is ready for war, it would immediately start fighting.

He also noted that the President of Azerbaijan uses a completely different rhetoric "at home" and "in the negotiations."

According to him, even if in a Kazan would have something signed, it would be an imitation.

"At home, he (Ilham Aliyev) continually speaks about the power of Azerbaijan, on the lengthened muscles, the willingness to resolve the issue by military means, and if it is, in this situation, go to the signing of a document, it can be missed Azeri society. This dilemma - one of the reasons why you can not achieve a breakthrough, "- said Bekaryan.

/ Panoramam.am /

[Mos]

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

disgusting article:

Azerbaijan, Israel have become 'strategic allies'
Tue 28 June 2011 12:03 GMT | 8:03 Local Time
Text size:

Arye Gut
Political analyst Arye Gut comments for News.Az on Azerbaijani-Israeli relations on the eve of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' visit to Baku.
As a professional specialist in the field of international relations, this is not the first time I have analysed the various aspects of Azerbaijani-Israeli cooperation and their media coverage. But I don't remember such a spate of publications that we've seen in recent weeks in the Israeli, Russian and Armenian media, which, frankly, are designed to undermine Israeli-Azerbaijani relations. I hope they do not work, although there can be no doubt about the partisanship of these gentlemen.
As part of my public work, I often meet representatives of the Israeli elite. And, typically, political, military and public figures in Israel, as a rule, speak positively about our country and the prospects for bilateral cooperation. And it isn't just a gesture towards political correctness. Despite the ongoing global economic crisis, last year was very successful for Azerbaijani-Israeli relations. A number of large-scale transactions of an economic and military-technical nature were concluded and a major contract signed with Israeli construction company Shikun & Binui.

Total trade between our countries has reached four billion dollars - a figure that makes our countries strategic allies. On the other hand, these figures do not please everyone: secret and open enemies to strengthen the Israeli-Azerbaijani cooperation, alas, is missing.

As a representative of the Israel-Azerbaijan International Association (AZIZ), representing the Israeli community of descendants from Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani diaspora of Israel, I have repeatedly answered questions about the lack of an Azerbaijani embassy in Israel. And every time I repeat that Baku's foreign policy is built on the basis of specific objectives and challenges to meet, in the first place, the national interests of Azerbaijan itself. It's easiest to accuse Baku of indecision and a lack of goodwill and much more difficult, without resorting to street populism, to analyse the situation and argue pragmatically.

In fact, the Republic of Azerbaijan, which signed an agreement with Israel on establishing full diplomatic relations almost 20 years ago, has not opened an embassy here, despite numerous requests from Jerusalem and calls from Washington following the lobbying of American xxxish organizations.
First and foremost, because of a reluctance to exacerbate the rather complex and contradictory relationship with Iran - well, if they open an embassy in Israel, these relations may be completely stopped. In addition, by making such a move, Azerbaijan would risk losing the support of some Muslim countries on life-changing issues. In particular, we are talking about the decades of armed confrontation with Armenia caused by the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory.
On the other hand, the lack of an Azerbaijani embassy in Israel has almost no effect on economic cooperation and trade between our countries, nor on constructive political dialogue between our countries. That's why I think that statements by some Russian-speaking "experts" who talk about ‘the collapse of Azerbaijani-Israeli cooperation" are highly irresponsible.

I can give the assessments of a number of Israeli political analysts and experts on Central Asia, who believe that the current leadership of Azerbaijan conducts foreign policy independently of Ankara and Tehran, and has earned a reputation as a strong and independent player in the international arena. The clear position of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on relations with Israel, in particular his refusal to submit to the demands of Iran and to cancel the visit of Israeli President Shimon Peres to Baku and his refusal to join any anti-Israel campaigns cause sincere respect in Israel.

On the other hand, the Israeli political establishment and, in many ways thanks to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, today does not see the Republic of Azerbaijan is the same way that it did a few years ago. It was Lieberman who managed to convince the public that Israel needed not only support from the US and EU, but also the support of moderate Muslim countries formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 2008, as minister for strategic planning, he did much to develop relations with the countries of the former Soviet Union, including Georgia and Azerbaijan. And today, just three years later, Lieberman's multi-vector policy, as it is called, is the main thrust of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and became possible thanks to the historic visits of Shimon Peres to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan and the regular exchange of delegations of Israeli ministers and their Central Asian counterparts. The multi-vector policy is already yielding real dividends to Israel - in terms of economic relations, votes at the UN and advancing the interests of xxxish communities in Muslim countries.

And yet, knowing the importance of Israeli-Azerbaijani relations, some politicians and journalists do their best to reduce them to nothing. First and foremost, we are talking about lobbyists who have been pushing the idea of the State of Israel recognizing the so-called Armenian "genocide". Let me remind you, we are talking about the events of 1915 which took place on the territory of the then Ottoman Empire.

For many years the Knesset observed a silent consensus on the subject. To put it simply, an issue fundamentally contrary to the interests of the State of Israel was not considered at all. But in the last few years, several Knesset members felt that any discussion of this topic made good media headlines, as it has wide public and international attention and suddenly became consistent supporters of Israel's recognition of the Armenian genocide.

Of course, these are just a few people, while the vast majority of Israeli members of parliament support the view expressed a few weeks ago by the first deputy foreign minister of Israel, Knesset member Danny Ayalon. "There is no chance of the Knesset recognizing the Armenian genocide," Ayalon said. "It is impossible. We cannot afford to spoil relations with a major strategic partner in the Muslim world - Azerbaijan because of controversial historical issues relating to events a century ago."

And yet, proponents of the recognition of the Armenian genocide in the Knesset, who are hardly more than five percent of the total number of deputies, and those in search of cheap sensationalism in the media, continue to force an error on the Israeli public, claiming, inter alia, recognition of the Armenian genocide does not impact (?) on Israeli-Azerbaijani relations.

Last but not least this an outright lie or downright ignorance.
However, I would like to clarify this delicate subject. I am convinced that people who are comparing the nightmare of the Holocaust with the massacre of Armenians during the events of 1915 are not just ignorant. They cynically betrayed the memory of six million European xxxs who were killed in Nazi death camps, just because they were xxxs. Armenians had for many years been in conflict with the Ottoman Empire and were involved in separatism, treachery and cooperation with the Russian army, which was at war with the Ottoman Empire, hoping to establish a new "Great Armenia" in Turkey.

We as Israelis shamefully compare the Holocaust of European xxxry with the tragedy of 1915, which was mainly caused by Armenian separatism and irredentism.

But to set aside the misty past, let's talk about this - does the Israeli policy of lobbying the recognition of genocide in modern Armenia almost every year in the Knesset desecrate the memory of the Holocaust? That anti-Semitism and xenophobia in Armenia are not a myth, but sad reality is the same as the ideas of the racial superiority of the Armenian "Aryans" over the Turkic, Semitic and other peoples, which are popular among the masses. Modern Armenia is a mono-ethnic state with a population of 500 (five hundred!) xxxs, the vast majority of whom, including the head of the xxxish community, have Armenian surnames.

At the same time, in neighbouring Azerbaijan there are 30,000 xxxish religious and secular communities. Our compatriots hold prominent positions in virtually all areas of economic, political and cultural life of the country. The chairman of the interparliamentary group Azerbaijan-Israel in at the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic is Yevda Abramov, an ethnic xxx, born in the xxxish village of Krasnaya Sloboda. In the last 18 months alone, two large synagogues have opened in the capital of Azerbaijan, while the largest xxxish campus in the South Caucasus has started operating for 400 children, and its opening was attended by President Ilham Aliyev and first lady Mehriban Aliyeva, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

An integral part of the xxxish community in Azerbaijan is the Israel-Azerbaijan International Association (AZIZ), which unites about 60,000 Israeli citizens who came from Azerbaijan and do a lot to open the eyes of Israeli society to modern Azerbaijan.

As real Azerbaijani diaspora in Israel, AZIZ has played an important and constructive role in maintaining dialogue between our countries. The III Congress of Azerbaijanis Worldwide, which will be held at the beginning of July this year in Baku and will discuss a strategic vision of the Azerbaijani diaspora in the 21st century, has invited an AZIZ delegation to take part.
There is another important aspect in the light of which the very idea of Israel's recognition of the notorious Armenian "genocide" prompts real bewilderment. \With the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992 Armenia is the only strategic ally in the South Caucasus region of the State of Israel's most implacable enemy, the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In fact, it is to Iran that Armenia owes its existence after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The signing of diplomatic relations with Tehran enabled Armaenia in the early 1990s to break the transport blockade imposed by Turkey and Azerbaijan. Without this "balanced" policy of Tehran, which is in fact, treacherous towards Azerbaijan, Armenia would control today more than twenty percent of the territory of Azerbaijan.

A 42-mile section of the Armenian-Iranian border is now the only way out of Armenia, which has borders with Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia, to the outside world. It is through Iran that all transport routes now link Armenia with the outside world;

A bridge across the Aras River, completed in 1996, was the first major joint Armenian-Iranian project. But Tehran had a solution in 1994 during the occupation of Azerbaijani territory. Unbelievable but true: Iranian generals and builders remain indifferent as to the other side of the Aras while Armenian armed forces destroyed Azeri towns and villages and killed their Shia Muslim brothers.

Put into operation in 1995, the first power line Iran - Armenia brought the Armenian energy system out of a state of paralysis, and isolation and, more importantly, allowed Yerevan in part to get rid of Russian energy coming through Georgia.

At first glance, the pro-Armenian position in Tehran looks strange. Indeed, Iran has approximately 35 million ethnic Shia Azerbaijanis. However, to understand the logic of Armenian-Iranian relations, it should be understood that for a number of reasons Iran may not be objectively interested in strengthening Azerbaijan. Tehran has specific objectives related to its national security and territorial integrity and, therefore, will never allow the strengthening of independent Azerbaijan.

It is worth noting that, in contrast to Azerbaijan, with which Iran has serious differences on a number of fundamental problems, including a section of the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan's relations with the "Zionist entity", etc., contacts between Tehran and Yerevan are warm and trusting. In this context we should mention the visit of the late president, Heydar Aliyev, to Iran in May 2002. During the summit, the national leader of the Azerbaijan people called on Iran to oppose the occupation of Azerbaijani land by Armenia. The then Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami, said no, arguing: "Armenia is not Israel, and the Azerbaijanis are not the Palestinians." This is the Real Politik of the regime of the Iranian ayatollahs.

One last caveat, which characterizes the true attitude of Azerbaijanis to their southern neighbour. As you know, in their statements for foreign consumption Iranian leaders position Iran as a consistent "defender of the oppressed and dispossessed Muslims". But at the same time, it has a 600-kilometre border with Shia Azerbaijan, which have has a million Muslim refugees and lost 20 percent of its own territory to Armenian occupation, but is not developing its relations with its brothers in Islam, but with the aggressor.

All these arguments are only for those who insist to the public that the Israeli recognition of the Armenian "genocide" does not affect its relations with Azerbaijan.

A wise politician once remarked, not without humour, that Israel and Azerbaijan are almost equally unlucky with their neighbours. This observation contains not only the truth, but also a proportion of bitterness. But this is the reality in which they live, our countries, Israel and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Two strategic partners interested in strengthening each other.

Two of countries with a maritime coast, who are not surrounded by the most benevolent neighbours.

Two southern people with a similar mentality and a huge stock of tolerance.

These are our countries. And we will not allow them to be at loggerheads!

News.Az